Countdown of the Ancients
by Dreamchylde
Summary: 2008 Sequel to 'Thrown' Some Seekers secrets are revealed, but they still don't realize just how important it is to everyone else or how much trouble they're in. Clocks are ticking down & time is running out! JazzxRachel in another adventure!
1. Chapter 1  Crossed Signals

_**A/N**__:Woot! The much anticipated sequel to "Thrown to the Front Lines" is here! Jazz and Rachel as still on vacation, "101 Things To Do Before You Die", but the Seekers are on a serious mission of their own!_

_A little back-story for those of you who are unfamiliar with my other stories about Jazz and Rachel. Rachel Milne is a young, mousy engineer, whose work on a Nanotechnology project to make metal impervious to all damage for the US war machine, caught the notice of the Decepticons. She met Jazz who was sent to be her guardian; they fall in love, and all hell breaks loose. If you're interested in more, (I'm not going to give the entire plot away –evil grin-) check out_**"Thrown to the Front Line**_**"**__ for the full story._

"_Countdown" is based off of the Generation 1 universe of Transformers but takes place in present day (2008). Jazz is still the white 935 Porsche with racing stripes, Bluestreak is now a dark blue Ferrari FXX, Prowl is now a silver and black Saleen Mustang, and Wheeljack is now a white Shelby Mustang with blue racing stripes. The other Autobots are the same alternate forms except for Ratchet, Ironhide and Bee, I used their movieverse alternate forms. In the Gen 1 series, Ratchet was a tiny ugly white van type ambulance that looked like a bad repaint of the 'Mystery Machine' and Ironhide was the ugliest red minivan in the universe. Ratchet as the SAR HumVee makes more sense, period. Ironhide as the black Topkick from the movie is perfect, minus one -very- important detail, his trademark Southern Good ol' Boy Accent. And Bee as the Camero not only looks better, but fits better than the VW Bug. Plus, the whole Volkswagen doesn't make war toys ideology is subjective. _

_I'm taking a few more writers prerogatives than I had before turning the G1 universe into a more AU setting, including adding on to the Transformers mythology and my take on what the term 'Seeker' really means. _

P.O.V switches between Rachel and the others. Action-adventure with a serious dose of sci-fi and the fluffiness of Jazz and Rachel's relationship! (fluff no slash) Jazz x Rachel (Rachel was independently rated an 18 on the Mary-Sue litmus test)

**Disclaimer:** Only Rachel and the NPC's of this story are mine, the Transformers belong to Hasbro and Takara.

Constructive criticism is welcomed. Reviews given much love and help me write faster (promise! -grin) P.S. Hints abound from the cross-over stories!

**Countdown of the Ancients**

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 1** –**Crossed Signals**

"Sweep the base again, it's got to be here somewhere." Starscream's snarky voice grated over the Seeker's private com channel.

Skywarp sighed tiredly, "'Screamer… I've been all over Nemesis. It's not here."

"What if we turn up the sensitivity on the scanners?" Thundercracker sounded just as tired.

"Fine. Just give me a moment to disable the radiation sensors so you do not set off one of the alarms. But you'll need to search faster, shifts are about to change."

All three Seekers were tired. They had returned to Nemesis shortly after the battle with the horde and Devastator, only to find an angry Megatron waiting on the landing dock. He was worked up into a slathering rage over the Seekers abandoning him in the fight, and furious that his only gestalt on this mud ball of a planet had completely rebelled and tried to kill him. Starscream coldly reminded the warlord that the Seeker's had not abandoned him, unlike Soundwave had, and that the Seekers (with some help from the Autobots) had taken Devastator and the Constructicons offline. Which was when Megatron had realized that he was minus the Decepticons only medic _and_ that he was badly injured _and_ there was no one to repair him quickly. And, unfortunately, Skywarp had taken that exact moment to remind Megatron that Starscream was adept at repairs due to the injuries he had often attained from the warlord's wrath. Which left the trio in the predicament they were in at the moment.

Starscream was currently stuck in the med bay trying to fix the nasty gash left in Megatron's helmet, whom was blissfully in stasis. Starscream's actual knowledge of repairs was of Seeker anatomy, not general mech repairs. But they were running out of time for their search, and Starscream was finding it harder to drag out repairs on the warlord's wounds.

The Air Commander quickly disabled the sensor arrays of the base, before admonishing his wingmates. "Alright, the sensors are disabled, but I don't know how long it will take before someone realizes that they are down. Both of you work as fast as you can and stay out of sight."

"We know, 'Screamer. Geez!" The black and purple Seeker grumbled as he started teleporting around the base.

Thundercracker muttered as he cautiously walked along the hallway outside of the storage units, carefully scanning each door, "I bet two months worth of high-grade rations that a certain psychic aft-kissing nuisance knows where it is."

"We don't even know for sure if Megatron has it." Skywarp was teleporting quickly, although tiredly around the base, his attention on the handheld scanner.

There was a belabored sigh from the red Seeker, "I know, but the data pad didn't just sprout legs and walk off by itself. Someone took it. And I'll match TC's bet on high-grade rations that whomever it was took it directly to Megatron."

There was an evil giggle over the channel from the black and purple Seeker, "But you don't have two months worth of high-grade to bet, 'Screamer."

"You could at least share my rations, 'Warp." Starscream scowled as he slowly finished welding the gap in Megatron's helmet shut.

"I could but what fun is in that-? Wait…" There was a beeping noise over the com channel. "Hey, I found something!"

"Where are you at?" Starscream dropped the hand held welder and rushed for the door.

"Uh, hallway 21-G. But it's weird…"

"What's weird about it?" Thundercracker was running for the nearest lift when his scanner started to beep as well. "Wait. What are you talking about, 'Warp? I just found the data pad."

"How could you both have found it? You're on opposite sides of the base." Starscream entered the lift and punched the keys for level 21.

"It's not the data pad. It's something else." The black and purple Seeker sounded very confused.

"What's the security code for storage room 601, 'Screamer?" The dark blue Seeker double-checked his scanner to make sure it was reading properly.

"7805-13." The red Seeker didn't wait for the lift's doors to open fully before he pushed through them. "Are you sure it's the data pad, TC?"

"Positive." The beeping noise got louder over Thundercracker's com and soon there was the sounds of him lifting and moving storage crates out of the way. "Slag! It's in a sealed container, 'Screamer."

"Keypad or vocal activator?" Starscream still ran down the hallway towards Skywarp's position.

"Vocal activator."

"Let me see what 'Warp found and then we'll meet you there." The Air Commander rounded a corner only to barely miss plowing into the black and purple Seeker.

"Sorry." Skywarp thrust the scanner at his wingmate quickly and pointed to one of the bulbous windows that protruded out into the dark waters of the ocean that surrounded the base. "It's strongest at the window."

Starscream puzzled at the readings as he walked over to the window, "This can't be right…" He frowned and looked out into the sunless waters.

"Why? What's going on?"

The two Seekers looked at each other in complete confusion, "'Warp just found one here."

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the channel. "… That's impossible. There wasn't any mention of this planet, let alone this system."

"Something outside Nemesis is giving off the harmonic radiation signature."

Thundercracker didn't sound convinced, "Then your scanner is malfunctioning."

Starscream looked back over the data on the scanner and scowled, "Let's take back what is ours first."

The black and purple Seeker grinned, grabbing his wingmate suddenly and teleporting them into the storage room where the dark blue Seeker stood waiting. The Air Commander glared at his smirking friend while he tried to regain his equilibrium; he hated when Skywarp surprised him like that. Starscream shoved the scanner at Thundercracker as he walked over to the container that held what they had been searching for… _what was rightfully theirs_.

He glared at the voice activator controls on the container, his optics narrowing as he initialized the locking mechanism. Of course Megatron would have access to the container, and in most cases Starscream as the Second in Command would also have access, but it was the third name on the security list that made his lips curl back into a vicious snarl: Soundwave.

"You were right about the psychic sociopath, TC. He's listed as one who has access to this container." He spoke into vocal activator and opened the container. "Too bad the horde got to him."

The crate was empty except for an old beat up data pad. Starscream pulled the pad out of the container and exchanged it for a blank one that he had been carrying around just in case. He closed the container and reactivated the lock. "Put it back where it was. We don't want Megatron to find out that we took it back."

Thundercracker and Skywarp set the crates back up as they were while Starscream read over the contents of the data pad quickly. He turned around and compared the readings from the scanner to the information on the data pad. His frown deepened and he shook his head. There were some discrepancies in the signals, but... "This can't be right."

The black and purple Seeker set the last crate back in place. "What if it's wrong?'

"It has to be wrong. There is no mention of this planet in any of the texts." Thundercracker peeked over Starscream's shoulder to look at the data pad. "We've been over this information how many times?"

"I meant, what if the text is wrong. How do we know it's right?"

"Oh, let's see. We've been able to locate everything else it's mentioned so far." The red Seeker smacked the back of Skywarp's head. "There has to be a reason behind this…"

With their arguments taken to their private channel, the trio walked back up to level 21. They were a formidable presence, and mechs coming off of their shifts quickly scurried out of the Seekers way. No matter where they went, the Seekers were always in formation: Starscream in front followed closely behind with Skywarp to the right and Thundercracker to the left, their wings almost touching. All three carried the same facial expression, cold to the point of a sneer with a malicious glint in their optics. Anyplace where there could be other mechs watching, they held their heads up high, chests out and wings straight. They were proud. _They were the elite_.

The trio stopped at the window where the scanner had detected the signal. It still read that there was something outside the base. Thundercracker shook his head as he looked at his wingmates. "Okay, you win. Something is out there, but I'm telling you, as long as we've known about this, everything has been correct."

Skywarp looked out the window, "What if there are more out there?"

Starscream and Thundercracker looked at each other before turning their gaze to the nearly black waters on the other side of the window. The dark blue Seeker frowned and shook his head again. "We'd have to search every star system and asteroid belt in the universe. We'd be spending the rest of our natural lives trying to search out and find the rest…"

Starscream stood there silently as if in deep thought, his optics narrowed and frowning. He finally crossed his arms over his cockpit and snorted in disgust. "We might not have to search every system…"

Skywarp smirked and looked at the red Seeker, "Leave it to good old nerdy 'Screamer."

"Hmmph." He shook his head, glowering as he stared out the window.

"You think you can recalibrate the scanners?" Thundercracker turned his attention back to his wingmate.

"Maybe. But we need to know for sure that there might be more of the signatures there."

Skywarp grinned. "There's one out there, all we have to do is retrieve it."

"That's not what I meant." Starscream turned to look at the others. His faceplate nearly disfigured in a sickened scowl. "We need more definitive proof that there could be others."

"How do we do that?"

The Air Commander sighed in resignation, "We'll need to talk to someone about the signals."

Thundercracker raised one optic ridge, "Who on Cybertron would know about the energy signals?"

"Who on Cybertron could we trust, is more like it." Skywarp looked back and forth between the other two, wondering if they had lost their minds.

Starscream looked back out into the watery depths. He hated this, but at the moment the red Seeker couldn't see any other option to their predicament. "He's not on Cybertron."

----

Twenty minutes later, the three Seekers stood just outside the sensor range for the Ark.

"Are you slagging out of your mind?!" Skywarp glared at Starscream.

"I agree with 'Warp. We can't trust the Autobots, especially with this!" Thundercracker looked around the rocky area, disgusted that anyone would want to live in such a dusty place. "They're going to want to know what this is about and try to nose their goody-good way into it."

Starscream kept his narrowed optics forwards. "I realize that, but he's the only one who would know for sure about the radiation signatures." His optics narrowed further, but he didn't look at his wingmates. "And unless you have a ship that is capable for long range space travel shoved into your subspace and have nothing planned for the next trillion years, this is the easiest way to find out."

"I still think this is a bad idea, 'Screamer." The dark blue Seeker shook his head. "We're just begging for trouble."

"Your input is noted, TC."

A handful of armed mechs walked out from behind a row of scraggy trees, and Starscream started to doubt his sanity about going to _him_ for information. He sighed and held his hands up in the air. "We are unarmed, Autobots."

The big black Topkick with the large cannons stepped forwards and looked suspiciously at the Seekers. "Ya decide ta turn ya'selves in wit'out a fight?"

Starscream snorted loudly, dropping his arms and crossing them over his cockpit. "You wish."

"Then why 're ya here?"

"I wish to speak to Jetfire."

----

"He wants to speak to Jetfire?" Optimus Prime blinked as Ironhide relayed Starscream's request back to the Ark. "Did he say why he wants to speak to him?"

"Nope. He won't say." Ironhide drawled out.

The Autobot leader shook his head, "Alright, tell Starscream that I am asking Jetfire to meet at your current location. I'll join you there shortly as well."

"Ya're not serious, Optimus? Who knows what this dirty Decepticon has planned."

"He's made no hostile moves, therefore I believe we should honor his request."

"What if Jet's dun want ta speak ta him? Ya remember that they're not on th' best o' terms." The black Topkick had a valid point.

"I'll leave that decision up to him."

----

"This is taking too long, 'Screamer. They're up to something." Skywarp glanced warily between his wingmates and the line of armed Autobots.

"Or Jetfire doesn't want to speak to us." Thundercracker stood to the side with his arms over his cockpit.

Starscream still stood there with his arms across his cockpit as well, staring down the black Autobot. "He'll come."

There was the sound of a vehicle engine moving closer to the tense location; Optimus Prime had arrived, and he transformed next to the line of Autobots. "Hello Starscream."

The red Seeker nodded slightly in acknowledgement. "Prime."

"Jetfire is on his way here, but I'm curious as to why you need to speak to him."

Starscream lifted his chin up and gave a small knowing smirk, "I have some questions that Jetfire, and _only_, Jetfire can answer."

The sound of the Veritech fighter engine roared above, and the white and red mech circled the two groups before landing next to his fellow Autobots. Icy blue optics looked at the three Seekers carefully, before sadly resting on the Air Commander, "You wanted to see me, Starscream?"

The red Seeker's optics narrowed and he nodded to the Veritech, "I want to ask you some questions."

The gentle scientist tilted his head thoughtfully to the side, "Questions regarding…?"

Starscream pulled a data pad carefully from subspace, snarling when Autobot weapons were lifted and aimed at him. "I said we are unarmed."

"Jus' ta be on th' safe side, Decepticon." Ironhide's cannons were rumbling in anticipation.

The Air Commander shook his head and motioned to Jetfire that he wanted to toss the pad to him. The pad crossed the distance without any more resistance and Jetfire activated it. "Radiation signatures?" The white and red mech looked up at the red Seeker. "What about them?"

"Have you seen either of those signatures before?"

Jetfire raised an optic ridge, "There are radiation signatures like this throughout space, and this," he pointed to one on the pad. "Is the signature that I came to inspect here, you should know that."

"That's not what I asked," Starscream glared at the scientist. "I want to know if you have seen those _specific_ signatures anywhere else before."

Jetfire looked at the data pad again and nodded his head. "Yes, I have."

The red Seeker scowled and pulled another data pad from his subspace; he quickly wrote something on it and tossed it over to the Veritech. "At these locations?"

The white and red mech looked over the new data pad and nodded again, "At these systems, yes. But they were present in other star systems and planets as well."

Thundercracker and Skywarp exchanged brief glances and Starscream frowned. "How many?"

"How many signatures?"

"How many total places did you find those readings?"

"These exact readings?" The gentle Veritech mused for a moment. "Sixteen or seventeen that are not on this list. The second signature here I have only encountered three times and there was a third signature that was similar to these, I must have seen it at least twelve times."

"Told you so, 'Screamer." Skywarp snorted at the red Seeker.

Jetfire looked at the Seekers curiously, "Why are you interested in all of this?"

"I need to know the frequency of the other signature and where you found all of them."

"Why?" Icy blue optics regarded the trio strangely, "There must be a very good reason why you would come out here and ask me about them."

"It does not concern you, Jetfire." Starscream looked to the side, muttering and scowling. "And I did not know that signature was the one you were curious about."

Thundercracker and Skywarp glared at Starscream as they opened their private channel, "You didn't realize seven million years ago that there was a signature here?!"

He rounded on his wingmates and snarled. "I didn't know! The scanners were only set to what is said in the text!"

Optimus Prime moved along side the quiet scientist, "What is all of this, Starscream? If this is some Decepticon plan-"

Starscream turned his glare on the Autobot leader, "It has nothing to do with the Decepticons, or the Autobots for that matter!"

"Alright. I will trust what you say about it not being a Decepticon plan." Optimus looked over the three slightly ruffled Seekers. "But if it's something we can help with…"

"No. We don't need your help." Crimson optics flashed.

"And we'd appreciate it if this matter stayed between us." Thundercracker stepped up to Starscream, facing the Autobots. "Meaning that Megatron does not hear about this. Ever."

"We won't mention it again. But I still offer our help if you need it."

"Good." Starscream stepped forwards and held out his hand for the pads. Jetfire made a few notes on them and handed the data pads to the Seeker. "I'd like to know what all of this is about as well, old friend. It wasn't that long ago that we were exploring the universe."

Starscream didn't meet Jetfire's gaze, "I know." He subspaced the data pads and turned around to leave, but he stopped before he moved too far away from the gentle scientist. "I am sorry. If I had known it was this…"

"Maybe someday we can discuss this, when we are not on different sides of the battlefield."

"Hmmph." Starscream jumped into the air and transformed quickly with Thundercracker following him.

Skywarp jumped into the air, but stopped and turned to the Autobots, "Hey. Tell the femme that Skywarp says hiya."

Optimus Prime looked at the black and purple Seeker strangely before nodding, "I will tell her."

A lopsided grin crossed over the Seeker's face. "Good." And then he transformed as well and took off after his wingmates.


	2. Chapter 2  Sins of the Past

A/N: _I'm giving everyone some of the back-story from "Thrown to the Front Lines", just in case readers don't remember certain events and to bring any new readers up to speed on what is happening. Hopefully all those loose ends everyone was wondering about make sense –very evil grin-_

**Synopsis**: Our hero and heroine are still away, and everyone is still wondering exactly what the Seekers are up to…everyone but Jetfire.

Cookies to anyone that can figure out what the runes say!

_Italics_ are used for emphasized words, internal dialogue, psychic communications, and recollections of previous events.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed! Reviews make the authoress write faster and plan more evil twists to baffle you with! Mwhahahah!

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 2 – **Sins of the Past

Previously from "Thrown to the Front Lines"…

The fight for Portland:

_The horde lunged at Soundwave, knocking him to the ground and slashing at his chest plate with its vicious claws. The dark blue mech grunted as he hit the broken ground, stunned that the creature had lacerated his body and revolted that the thing now sat upon his chest, licking energon off its hands happily. How was this even possible? His armor was fortified with the nanites! Nothing should be able to hurt him! With as little movement as Soundwave could manage, he aimed his sidearm at the creature's face and pulled the trigger. The smoking carcass of the horde fell to the ground, its neural net severed. He got up quickly, firing on each of the creatures that ventured too close to him. A panicked thought raced across Soundwave's CPU as he dodged out of the way of another set of claws: why were these things attacking him?_

_More of the horde came after him, with each new set of claws digging into his weakened armor. There was a growing halo of energon falling to the street around him as he fought to keep the creatures at bay. Little did the Decepticon Communications Officer know that he wasn't alone in this part of the broken city..._

_The black and white Saboteur watched Soundwave fighting from the shadows. It was by luck that Jazz had found the Decepticon battling the horde and would have left the Communications Officer to die by their claws, except he had a score to settle with Soundwave. It had been a long time since he assassinated anyone and the situation was not exactly to his liking, but since Soundwave had painfully altered Rachel's memories, Jazz wasn't going to worry about finesse in this kill. He stalked along the shadows until he was even with the battling mech, waiting for Soundwave's attention to be totally focused elsewhere before he attacked. _

_The Decepticon turned to shake off a horde that had latched on to his arm, when his helm was grabbed and forced back. The energon dagger slipped into the softer metal of his neck like a plasma blast through a sheet of tin foil. The dagger's deadly path severed his vocal processor as it sliced upwards, through his facemask and blood red visor before ending its destructive course in his right audio sensor. Soundwave swayed on his feet, his hands moving up to his neck trying to stop his gushing lifeblood from spilling onto the street._

"_Payback is a bitch ain't it, Soundwave?" The Saboteur's normally azure visor darkened as he shoved the Decepticon away from him, and glared into the shattered red visor. "That's for what y' did t' Rachel."_

_Jazz motioned animatedly to the blood red optics of the horde that had gathered in the shadows of the darkened street, waiting for the fight to finish. "Looks like it's Decepticon on the menu tonight." Jazz kicked Soundwave in the chest hard, sending the wounded mech onto his back in the ruined street. He walked over to the fallen dark blue mech and kicked him again in the side. "I hope they have a cozy space in the Pit reserved just for y're sorry aft."_

_--_

_Soundwave barely heard the Autobot leave as most of his attention was on finding a way to stop the copious amount of energon flowing through his fingers. In his frustration with the horde he had not considered that there were Autobots nearby, and up until the things attacked him, he was under the impression that he was impervious to all attacks._

_There were numerous red optics mulling around him as his sight wavered and finally failed; he was going to be ripped apart and eaten by the horde. He would die on the broken street in this ruined human city on this Primus forsaken planet - and it scared him. And in his final moments of this nightmare, Soundwave took his pain receptors offline. He could tune out the noise of the things ripping him to shreds, but he was scared of the agony he was imminently facing. As consciousness flowed away from him just like the pooling energon that poured from his wounds, the Communications Officer thought he could make out heavy footfalls echoing through the ruined street._

_--_

_Devastator came across the dying Soundwave as the horde scurried away from the giant Combiner. He debated whether to end the mech's misery quickly or let the Communications Officer bleed to death. In the mess of jumbled and competing thoughts, Hook's mind struggled up from the bowels of Devastator's consciousness. _

"A few upgrades to this mech and he could prove to be most useful to us. Disengage and let me stabilize him."

_Devastator agreed and the six separated. Hook bent down over Soundwave and quickly put the mech into stasis lock. He activated Soundwave's mass displacement program and stashed the dark blue recording device into his subspace. Hook turned around to the other Constructicon and smirked. "_When I get a free moment I will upgrade him."

_--_

Current time:

Their infrared vision was one of the first things that Hook had repaired so that the six could work in the 'pen' that the humans locked them up in every night. So far repairs were slow and agonizing, especially since they were not fully equipped with the tools that Hook and Scrapper needed to work and the humans were abusing them every day to repair their loathsome city.

The engineer had created a basic energon converter that they could use for refueling, and while Scrapper and Hook worked on repairing the other Constructicons, the others worked on gathering the poor quality energon for usage. Everyone except Mixmaster. The worn out mixer was fed the most of the energon gathered. The abuse the humans put on him daily was tiring, but it was at night when he was denied recharge that he was forced to slave over making material that really wore the mixer down. Human made materials were unacceptable for repairs, especially by Hook's high standards, and would not withstand any attack let alone the workout the humans put them through every single day.

Scrapper snarled as he was forced once again to repair the treads on Scavenger. This was the third time this month that this exact repair was needed, and the construction engineer was past his limit. He threw the spanner he had been using to the ground. "We can't keep working like this! It's degrading to be forced into laboring for the humans and I cannot keep up with the constant mundane repairs! We need decent Cybertronian materials and tools!"

Hook glared tiredly at the front-end loader. "And exactly how to you purpose we acquire Cybertronian materials? Raid Nemesis? Go back to Megatron and _beg_ for his forgiveness?" He laughed coldly. "I would rather be melted into bolts than go back to being constantly degraded by him."

Longhaul looked at the others as he brought another crude energon cube to Mixmaster. "Why don't we just use the Space Bridge and go back to Cybertron?"

Scrapper growled. "Brilliant idea! Except for one small problem," He turned his snarl on the dump truck. "Megatron controls the Space Bridge and none of us have the codes or the authorization to access it!"

An idea struck him and Hook crossed his arms over his chest and started to laugh. As his laugh grew louder, Scrapper and the other Constructicons stared at him, as if the engineer had finally lost his perfectionist mind. He smirked evilly through his laughter at the confused Scrapper before slapping him on the back. "If you can handle a few more days of mundane repairs, my dear friend, I shall have your authorization and your codes and our key back to Cybertron."

"How?"

The engineer picked up the discarded spanner, his evil grin spreading further over his faceplate; there was the soft hiss of a subspace pocket opening and Hook produced a familiar dark blue recording device. " I just need to make some repairs and a few _upgrades_."

--

After the battle:

_Rachel froze in the middle of the hallway when she heard his icy voice. "Figures you would be smiling and happy with yourself. You managed to kill four of us, four of my friends, with that poison you convinced everyone to wear." He spat at her coldly, "I bet you've already got your next plan to eradicate us in the works. And still..." the red mech shook his head. "Still Optimus allows you to live here and Ratchet has you helping on repairs."_

_Cliffjumper walked up behind her, his hatred roiling off of his body in red-hot waves. "So what did you cook up with the Decepticons to kill us with this time?" He stepped in front of the young woman, sneering at her, "Hmm? Don't play innocent with me. I know you've been working with the Decepticons, that's why you keep saving those slaggin' Seekers."_

_Rachel took a step back in fear, "I'm not working with the Decepticons..."_

_His optics narrowed and he leaned in to glare at her, "Oh yeah? Then explain how Devastator and Megatron had those frakking nanites of yours?"_

_"They copied my designs for-"_

_"Copy my skidplate! You're frakking collaborating with them!"_

_She took a few more steps backwards; frantically wishing someone would come down this hallway and scare him off. "I am not!"_

_He growled and stepped menacingly towards her, "You lying little glitch!"_

_"I'm not lying," She tried to edge away from him again, her voice shaking in fear._

_"They should have left you to die back at the Decepticon base! Then the others would still be alive!" Cliffjumper spat at her._

_She tried to bolt past the minibot but he was quicker, and he easily knocked her to the ground. She skidded across the hallway and tried to get up, but the Autobot had his weapon drawn and aimed at her head._

_"Cliffjumper! I didn't kill them and I didn't want them to die! I didn't want anyone to get hurt!" She was crying now on her knees staring at the barrel of the gun. "I didn't want any of this to happen!"_

"_What in Primus' name are you doing, Cliffjumper?!" Windcharger had appeared down the hallway and stopped cold at the sight of the mech and the young woman._

_The safety on his gun clicked off and Rachel shut her eyes, turning her head away from the enraged minibot. "Stay out of this, 'Charger!"_

_Windcharger ran down the hallway. "Stop it, Cliffjumper!"_

_The shot rang out in the hallway, the sound echoing and bouncing over the titanium paneling. The young woman whimpered and looked up. Cliffjumper had turned slightly, a thin trail of smoke exiting the muzzle of his gun. His facial expressions slowly went from pent up rage to abject horror. Rachel followed his gaze down the hall and gasped loudly. Windcharger stood very still as he held a shaking hand up to his chest plate and felt the gaping wound that was spilling energon quickly._

_Time stood completely still as the two mechs looked at each other; the expressions flashing over their face plates from horror to shock to betrayal. Windcharger fell to his knees with a dull thud, his optics never leaving Cliffjumper's face._

_The alarm system broke the deadly silence and time quickly sped up. "ALERT! WEAPONS DISCHARGED IN SECTION A-5! WEAPONS DISCHARGED IN SECTION A-5!"_

_Windcharger coughed up energon that spattered down his front and onto the floor. Cliffjumper, still stunned at what he had just done, dropped his gun and tried to take a step towards his friend. The red and gray minibot sat down hard on his heels and coughed again, bringing up oil and energon before he sagged to the floor. Cliffjumper's optics widened in dismay. He seemed glued to the floor until the heavy sound of running footsteps could be heard. The minibot then panicked and ran, transforming and peeling out in the hallway._

--

Current time:

It was a black moonless night and he wasn't exactly sure where he was anymore; he wasn't sure he cared anymore either. He had driven non-stop for days and was at the ends of his energon reserves. Disturbing images of the mech staring at him and coughing up energon forced him to drive faster. He had been so angry. He could feel his gun in his hand, steady and sure one moment, weak and shaking the next. He gunned his engine again, trying to drive away from reality. A reality that forced him to remember that he had _killed_ his best friend.

His back tire blew out and Cliffjumper swore into the dark night. He didn't bother to stop moving before he transformed, tumbling across the rocky ground before finally ending up on his back and staring blankly at the stars. He shut his optics with a loud groan; he had let his reserves drop below twenty percent and was he dead tired.

Dead tired. Dead. Dead as in Windcharger. Dead as in he had shot Windcharger. Dead as in he had gunned down his best friend, Windcharger.

The faceplate of the gray and red mech swam in front of his vision and Cliffjumper's optics shot open, cycling air quickly through his systems as he panted. He couldn't stay here. He had to keep moving. Why? He didn't know, but he had to keep moving.

_You have to keep moving because you know they are coming for you._

He rolled onto his side with a pained sigh, shutting his optics again; the urge to shut down and wait until his energon reserves ran out was so tempting. He tried to push himself up as he opened his optics again. He was in the middle of nowhere, but it was a familiar nowhere. He sat up slowly and looked around, something in the back of his mind tickled a memory of this place. He knew this place. They had fought here. Fought here against the Decepticons for…something.

_You had fought side-by-side with him here_.

He shook his head violently; as if by some miracle that would make the haunting images of Windcharger disappear.

But it didn't.

He slowly got to his feet and stumbled over to a rocky outcropping of boulders. It wouldn't offer much cover once the sun came up, but it was better than on the ground. He eased himself down between the rocks and looked back up into the sky again, staring at the stars as if they would absolve him of his crimes. The stars. He came from one of them. They both had. They had come from home to this Pit-forsaken planet to stop the Decepticons…

The Space Bridge.

That was what his memory chips were trying to recall. That was what they were fighting Megatron and his goon squad over.

He wanted to go home and forget about this planet and the stupid humans, especially _that_ one. This was all _her_ fault. Yes. It was because of _her_ that he was angry. It was because of her that the others were dead_. Her fault that he had turned on his best friend_…

His optics went out of focus and he drifted off into recharge as his conscious tried to justify why all this had happened.

--

Optimus Prime watched as Skywarp took off after his wingmates, pondering over what had just happened. He turned to look at Jetfire who was also gazing sadly at the vapor trails left in the air by the Seekers. The gentle scientist sighed and turned to leave, only to catch the Autobot leader looking at him. "Yes, Optimus?"

Kindly sky blue optics smiled at him, "Do you want to talk about it, Jetfire?"

The Veritech gave a weak laugh, "About what Starscream was talking about?"

"I trust if it is important that you would let me know. But if you need to talk about anything else, my door is always open."

Jetfire turned and looked back at the vapor trails that were now dissipating. He shook his head, his icy blue optics tinged with sadness,"Maybe later, Optimus."

--

Jetfire stood outside the Ark, staring up into the sky and thinking about what had happened earlier with Starscream and the others. Harmonizing radiation. There were a veritable slew of theories that he could come up with about what could give off those specific radiation signatures. But as to why Starscream and the Seekers were interested in them… Jetfire cringed. Back when they were scientists on Cybertron, he remembered that Starscream had been working on a type of scanner that would be used to detect foreign energy signals in space - supposedly to help map out systems with binary stars for potential energy resources. But…

The gentle scientist frowned with a sigh. Starscream had used the scanner just a handful of times, and it seemed to have major glitches in its ability to actually find resources in the binary systems. But Starscream didn't seem to mind that it wasn't working right. As a matter of fact, he seemed _excited_ that it wasn't working, which in and of itself was odd for Starscream since he was such a perfectionist in all of his other work.

Jetfire went over the readings from the radiation signatures again: three almost identical harmonizing radiation signatures, one being something that he knew very well, that were spread around the universe.

And that's what puzzled him.

Granted that he hadn't been totally honest to Starscream about the readings and he now questioned whether it had been wise to tell him about the signatures; but if it had taken this long for the young Seeker to find that signature on this planet, then he highly doubted that anyone on either side really knew what those readings actually were. And even he wouldn't have known what it was either if he hadn't been working with his mentor the day it was found.

Jetfire shook his head with a small smile at the memories of his mentor calling him away from his work to witness what very few Cybertronians would ever get to experience. There were scientists and cryptographers swarming all over the place as everyone tried to unlock its secrets. He could still hear the voice of the elder mech as he read the runes that had been decoded so far out loud to him: _Shorol sor terdi jhor si mas os taerol._

He gazed absently at the approaching night, the first stars breaking through the sunset. Did Starscream actually know what that radiation signature was? Could he still trust Starscream enough to leave it alone? Should he even get involved in this? The myriad of questions fought inside of him and the logic of the situation battled heavily with his belief in not harming other species.

In the end, everything boiled down to how much he could trust Starscream. Jetfire sighed. Seven million years ago they had been colleagues, friends even, but now…

With a heavy spark, the gentle scientist made his way past the entrance of the Ark and over to Wheeljack's laboratory. He stood outside the door and paused, wondering once again if this was the right decision to make.

Jetfire knocked on the orange titanium door and waited for the engineer to appear. The door slid open and the white and blue mech smiled, pleasantly surprised at the gentle scientist's appearance. "What can I do for you, Jetfire?

"I need to build a scanner."


	3. Chapter 3 Impossibility

A/N: _Yays for being vague! Mwhahaha. We already knew that there were two strange signals coming from some weird source. Well, guess what? That's right, there is another. Now exactly what are these 'artifacts' and why are there three on Earth and why is one in... you'll have to read on for more information. Rachel is back, but Jazz is off on another of his James Bond missions. And TC is going home for a visit; he's supposed to be there shopping for troops and gadgets, but... And I'm really getting into writing Skywarp, he's a much more than just the yes-man I originally thought he was._

_As always, constructive criticism is welcomed. Reviews are given much love! _

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 3** – Impossibility

"Harmonizing radiation?" Wheeljack looked strangely at the gentle scientist. "Just what kind of experiment are you planning?"

Jetfire paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts on how to approach this; he did not like to lie to people, especially his friends, but he needed to keep this project a secret for as long as possible. "I was thinking about taking a trip to the outer reaches of this solar system. I was researching on the human internet about the arguments over the 'dwarf planets' and objects in the Kuiper Belt and it piqued my interest. Unfortunately most of the scanners I have will detect every other type of radiation, but I would like to see if this system carries any harmonizing radiation. If it does then I can send my findings back to the Iacon Science Academy. It has been quite a while since I published anything for the Academy."

"Sounds like fun." The engineer started to pull tools out and set them on his workbench. "Are you going alone or is this trip open for visitors."

He actually wanted to go explore this system at some point and it seemed a plausible story, but he hadn't thought about anyone else wanting to go along. And though he would miss the company, he needed to find the sources on Earth before he could possibly take the trip. "For the moment alone, at least until I can get Ratchet to clear to go, then maybe we could go and explore together. It has been a long time since I got to explore with someone else."

"As long as the Decepticons keep quiet, I'm sure Ratchet will give you the go ahead."

"I am hoping he does."

--

"Do you have the scanners working, 'Screamer?" Skywarp was leaning against the worktable, bored out of his CPU and flicking wires and small pieces of scrap metal around.

Starscream growled and smacked the bored black and purple Seeker away. "I would if you'd stop being a glitching pest. Go torment TC for awhile."

A mischievous smirk crossed Skywarp's face. "He said to come harass you."

The Air Commander gave a martyred sigh. "Figures he would."

"So are they done yet?"

"No. Stop asking." The red Seeker's voice took on his annoyed snarky tone.

Skywarp picked up a tool and started to toss it up in the air. "How are we going to find the other ones?"

Starscream plucked the tool away from his wingmate. "I don't know yet."

The black and purple Seeker picked up another tool and started to use it to bat scrap pieces around the lab. "Why not?"

Starscream carefully put the scanner down on the table before powering up his null ray and aiming it directly into his wingmate's face. "Because. You. Keep. Annoying. Me."

Skywarp put the tool down. "Hey. Chill out, 'Screamer. I'm just asking some questions. Sheesh. Who lubricated in your energon this morning?"

The weapon powered down and the Air Commander picked the scanner back up. "You did, probably." He carefully soldered a wire to a conductor hoping beyond hope that Skywarp would just shut up.

"So how much longer 'til you're done?"

He set the scanner back down and put his hands on the edge of the table, crushing the metal and leaving indentations of his fingers. "You know what, 'Warp?"

The black and purple Seeker grinned. "What?"

Starscream let go of the table and faced his wingmate. "How about _you_ figure out how we're going to get the one that's out in the ocean. Think you can do that?"

Skywarp gave a non-committal shrug. "Sure."

The Air Commander smiled and turned back to the scanner. "Good."

Skywarp rested his elbows on the table and started to flick more of the scrap wire across the workbench.

The scanner went down and Starscream punched the table, sending almost everything on it a few inches into the air. "I said go think up a way to get the one out of the water!"

"I am thinking."

"…" Starscream's face contorted in anger as he grabbed the black and purple Seeker's arm and bodily forced him to the door. "OUT! Now! Get out! Go away! And don't come back until you 'think' up a way to get that piece!" He managed to shove a grinning Skywarp out of his lab. "And if you even _try_ to teleport back in here, I will personally tear you limb from limb, understand?!"

The door to the lab slammed shut and Skywarp giggled manically. There was the soft swishing sound as the Seeker teleported to the control room a few feet behind Thundercracker. He stifled another wicked giggle as he leaned in right next to the dark blue Seeker's audio receptors. "GUESS WHAT!?"

Thundercracker jumped out of the control chair, incendiary guns out of subspace and aimed for a giggling Skywarp. "You son-of-a-glitch! Don't you ever do that again!"

The black and purple Seeker shrugged. "I just thought you might want to know about the scanners."

The weapons slipped back into subspace and Thundercracker sat back down. "'Screamer finished yet?"

"Nope."

"…" Thundercracker rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Oh!" Skywarp smirked evilly. "'Screamer says he wants you to find a way to get the one that's out in the ocean."

--

With the newly installed scanner, Jetfire circled over the initial region where he had found the signal. The radiation signal was still on Earth, but it had moved northward significantly. The gentle scientist connected with one of Sky spy's satellites and checked for nearby Decepticon activity. He gave a sigh of relief when it verified that there hadn't been any in the last few weeks. _Plate tectonics_, he mused as he accessed Teletraan 1 and pulled up all the information stored in the mainframe about the Aleutian Trench. Seven million years drew the signal towards present day Alaska, but it also put it extremely close to the very active Pacific Ring of Fire.

The Veritech fighter dropped altitude until he was just barely skimming the over the deep blue waters as he let the scanner direct him to the exact spot where the harmonic radiation was the strongest. Jetfire transformed over it and hovered above the waters as he took readings about the signal. The source was much bigger than he had first encountered, which could mean it was an original artifact. In a sense, he was relieved that it was still here, but now that Starscream and the others knew about it he worried that it wouldn't stay where it belonged, hidden from everyone and everything.

The gentle scientist increased the sensitivity of the scanner trying to get a reading on just how far down the artifact was when two more, and much fainter signals appeared from the southeast. _How was that possible?_ He accessed Teletraan 1 and fed in the telemetry that the scanner gave him. Jetfire frowned. One signal, if the scanner was correct, was on land, and near a heavily populated area. The other was much fainter and in the direction of the Decepticon base, Nemesis. The fainter signal must mean that Starscream had some type of artifact, but as to what would give that faint of a signal, he didn't know.

Jetfire turned his attention back to the other signal. _Why hadn't he noticed this one when he came to inspect the planet?_ There was no information of that signal registering in his data banks. Now he regretted telling Starscream anything about the harmonic radiation signals. If the Seeker found out about the signal there… There was no stopping the intervention now; he couldn't stand by passively if the humans in the area would be in danger.

Jetfire cringed as he realized that he would now have to tell Optimus about everything; he would need the Autobots help if he were to remove the artifact and relocate it somewhere safer. The gentle scientist transformed in the air and headed back towards the base. Questions filled his mind with spark-wrenching regret. How long did he have before Starscream found the other signal? Why were the Seekers interested in the signals? Would they harm the humans if… not if…when, when they found the other signal?

And the most disturbing question that invaded his mind: what was Starscream planning to do when he found the source of the signals?

Jetfire sighed deeply as he opened a comlink to the Ark. "Jetfire to Optimus."

"Optimus here. Did you need something, Jetfire?"

"I was wondering if that offer to talk was still open."

--

Starscream handed the recalibrated scanner to Thundercracker. "This will pick up any signal that is even remotely similar to the other three."

The dark blue Seeker smirked as he turned the device over in his hands. "What about the range on it?"

"Unfortunately, not as far as I would like it to be. I can remedy that, but I need some parts that we can only get on Cybertron." The Air Commander crossed his arms over his cockpit. "Which is why I'm sending you there."

Crimson optics narrowed. "And how are you going to explain that to Megatron when he wakes up?"

A smirk spread across Starscream's face. "You're to report to Shockwave with orders to bring the best of the War Academy back to Earth. We're short on fighters and we need new medics and he is to procure a new gestalt for us."

Thundercracker chuckled. "Recruiting new troops, good idea. That will make Megatron's solar cycle."

"Hmmph. He'll find something wrong with it I'm sure."

"Think of it this way, once we get this working…" He held up the device.

Starscream frowned. "We're seven million years behind on the search."

Thundercracker put a hand on his wingmate's shoulder. "But now we have better scanners and information on other locations and signals."

"That doesn't mean we will find them any faster."

Thundercracker sighed, "I should have known that text wasn't complete. It was just too perfect for it to be the only information source."

Starscream shook his head, "Too late for regrets now. You did the best you could with the information we had, TC." He pulled two data pads out of subspace and handed them to the dark blue Seeker. "One is the requisition to give to Shockwave. The other is the list of equipment I need and all the codes to get into where it is stored." He looked at his wingmate seriously. "I want you to keep your comlink on at all times and keep your optics open. If you run into trouble Skywarp will be there in under 50 astro-seconds."

Thundercracker grinned. "When do I leave?"

--

There was soft sound of Cusco's 'Montezuma' playing in the background as Rachel sat in front of her computer at her newly acquired desk in the med bay. She had an identical one set up in Wheeljack's lab as well, but today she was watching over the only patient and waiting for Ratchet's return so they could start inventory. She ran her finger over the mouse pad, scrolling down the latest text from Cybertron about mech upgrades. It wasn't the best read she had lately, but it was better than focusing on Jazz being gone. She sighed and rocked in her chair, letting her head fall back and staring up at the ceiling. Eight days with no word from him and counting. She wasn't sure if she could handle another day of him being gone.

There hadn't been any Decepticon activity since the battle for Portland besides small energy raids and the Seekers showing up to ask Jetfire questions about harmonic radiation signals. And then there was Skywarp asking Optimus to tell her he said 'hiya'. She couldn't fathom why on Earth he wanted to say hello to her and she was still getting teased about it from the other Autobots that were there when he made his request.

She kept staring at the orange titanium ceiling, letting her mind drift. Harmonic radiation. She'd never heard of it before, and yet Starscream came all the way over to the Ark to ask Jetfire about it. It had to be something important if the crazy Seeker was interested in it. She sat up and accessed the Iacon Science Academy's database through Teletraan 1 and ran a search. It didn't turn up much information and she frowned at the scant amount of it.

_Harmonizing radiation occurs when certain unstable primordial radionuclides decays into the highly radioactive metalloids Elistride and Ceftrium._

She ran a secondary search on _Elistride_ and _Ceftrium_ and gaped at what it said. Elistride and Ceftrium weren't just _'highly radioactive'_, they were life-ending-mass-extinction-destroy-everything-on-Earth-radioactive. That cold feeling of dread filled her stomach: that crazy Seeker wasn't planning on bring that interstellar matter to Earth, was he? She kept reading the miniscule article on the database.

_The extremely limited presence of harmonic radiation in the cosmos has drawn recent controversy over its existence. While certain proponents in the scientific community still aver the authenticity of the claims of actual discovery within star systems, many scientists are putting forth the argument that harmonizing radiation can only be observed within a controlled laboratory setting._

Now she wanted to talk to Jetfire. He obviously knew more about it than the two paragraphs in the Science Academy database.

--

"You're telling me that it's here on Earth?" Optimus Prime looked at the gentle scientist like he had sprouted a third head and turned purple.

"Yes. And no." Jetfire nodded. "The one from Cybertron was somehow lost billions of years ago. There is a belief… Well there was a belief, before the war, that there was one for every stellar system."

"And the one for this system is here on Earth?"

"Yes. When we came to explore this system I detected the signal, but when I tried to investigate it, I ended up caught in the polar regions and crashed." He interlaced his fingers together. "The same signal is still here on Earth, but in a very unstable region of the Pacific Ocean. I doubt Starscream can reach that one, but it is the lesser signals that are a cause of concern. There is one in Central America near heavily populated areas, and the other is with Starscream."

The Autobot leader looked at Jetfire thoughtfully for a moment. "I am curious as to how you knew what the signal was."

"My mentor back on Cybertron was one of the few experts to examine one brought in from another planet. One day he took me to see it, he said it was a once in a lifetime experience. It's a shame he went missing on an archaeology dig on Mira-12. He would have enjoyed Earth." Jetfire mused for a brief moment on the past before returning his attention on Optimus Prime. "I believe we need to investigate the one in Central America and, if necessary, relocate it to a safer location."

The Autobot leader stood up from his desk. "Gather what you need. I'll have a team ready to go in one jour, Jetfire."

"Thank you, Optimus. May I request that you bring Wheeljack and Ratchet along?"

"I will let them know."

--

"You'll need to be on constant standby, 'Warp. If anything goes wrong for TC, you have to get to him as fast as possible." Starscream scowled as he finished the final repairs to Megatron's power relays. He had drawn out the warlord's repairs for too long and he was going to pay for it when Megatron awoke.

Skywarp leaned against the nearest exam table playing with the upgraded scanner. "Who's guarding the Space Bridge right now, anyways?"

"I did not look over duty rosters this morning. But I'm sure you won't have any problems from the cannon fodder. If he doesn't know who you are, he doesn't belong in the Decepticons." He closed the final panels on Megatron's armor and started removing the cabling that monitored his systems. "I'm ready to bring him back-" He took one look at Skywarp tossing the scanner up in the air and snarled, snatching the device quickly. "What are you doing you glitch? We only have two of these and you can't have it out when 'our glorious leader' wakes up!"

Skywarp grabbed the scanner back and turned it on to prove that he didn't damage it. "Pfft. It's not like we need it for this stupid planet anymore. We already know where the thing is."

The scanner beeped and Skywarp stuck his tongue out at his wingmate. "See? It works."

The device beeped again… and then it made a higher pitched beep.

The two Seekers looked at each other for a moment, and then quickly turned their attention to the scanner. "There's another one?"

--

Optimus Prime, Jetfire and Wheeljack walked into the med bay looking for the grumpy medic.

Rachel turned around holding the data pad that she was using for inventory and smiled at the newcomers. "Afternoon fellas."

The Autobot leader nodded to her. "Good afternoon, Rachel. Is Ratchet around?"

The young woman pointed down just as there was a loud clunk and some cursing in Cybertronian. Ratchet stood up rubbing his head. "What do you need, Optimus?"

"I need your assistance for a mission."

The medic picked up the box he had been taking inventory of and set it on the table. "Oh yeah? When?"

Optimus chuckled. "Now."

An optic ridge was raised as he looked over the three. "You don't give a mech much time to get ready do you?"

Jetfire nodded to him. "I'm sorry if this upsets your schedule, Ratchet, but I requested your assistance for this."

"Alright. What do I need to bring and who else are you taking?"

"The four of us and Bluestreak and Mirage will meet us at the entrance." Optimus looked sideways at Jetfire. "We are not expecting trouble."

Ratchets optics narrowed. "Then why do you need me?"

"In case one of us are injured in the attempt to recover the…item." Jetfire looked at the others.

"Is this what you needed the scanner for, Jets?" Wheeljack looked at the gentle scientist, his vocal processors 'blinking' as he spoke.

"I'm afraid it is." The gentle scientist's gaze fell to the floor. He still felt guilty about lying to a friend. "I do plan to go explore the Kuiper Belt in the future, but this is more important right now."

Wheeljack rocked back on his heels with a chuckle. "So it really does exist, huh? I was taught to believe it was the material of myths and legends."

"What really exists? The harmonic radiation?" Rachel, who had been quiet up until that moment, spoke up.

Jetfire looked at the young woman. "You know of it? I did not encounter any information on the human internet about harmonic radiation."

"I should hope not!" She looked wide-eyed at him. "The two paragraphs from the Iacon Science database didn't give much information about it, but I can tell you this: it doesn't exist on Earth. It's so radioactive that it would wipe out life as we know it, or as I know it, at least."

Jetfire chuckled. "It does exist here on Earth, just not in the forms given by the database. If you like, I can give you more information about it when we return."

"Can I go with you?" She looked up at Optimus. "You said you didn't expect any trouble."

The Autobot leader looked at Jetfire. "If she wouldn't be in any danger from it, I see no reason why she can't come."

"Certainly. As a matter of fact, you could be very useful to me." The Veritech fighter smiled at Rachel. "Have you ever been to Central America?"


	4. Chapter 4 The First Artifact

A/N: _Chapters won't be coming out as fast as I'd like them to, but I'm going to try my best to keep them coming. Please be patient with me._

**Summary**: We find out a little more about what the Seekers are searching for but we still don't know why. Jazz is still on a mission and Rachel has a little conversation with Jetfire and Wheeljack about Cybertronian science and ethnocentrism. Could the theory that Jetfire talks about be true?? Could there be more than one and does it mean what we think it means??

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews are given much love. I could really use some good news right now, so if you like what you're reading, please let me know.

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 4 – The First Artifact**

Hook made a few final adjustments on the dark blue mech; it wasn't as perfect as he would have liked, but it would have to do until he got better materials from Cybertron. The upgrades to the mech's CPU and processors would be sufficient enough to fool even Megatron himself, but that test would come after he returned from Cybertron with the supplies that Hook and the others needed. The engineer checked the control device he installed before shutting the access panel and smirking at his genius. The programming codes and altered memories he added into Soundwave's processors were brilliant by his standards; the mech wouldn't even realize that he wasn't in control of his systems anymore. Hook brushed his hands quickly and brought Soundwave out of stasis lock.

The blood red visor flickered with light and the dark blue mech sat up slowly, looking at the rocky surroundings and the highly aggravated engineer that stood next to him tapping his foot. "Explain current situation."

Hook sighed in annoyance, "Once again you have not listened to what I said about letting your internal repair systems finish their work. I'm almost tempted to call Megatron and inform him that you are not fit for this mission."

Soundwave looked at the engineer, "Mission to gather supplies for repairs."

_Excellent._ Hook smirked, "It's good to see that your processors are still working. Maybe this trip won't be a complete waste." He turned and started to walk down the slightly worn trail that led to the Space Bridge, stopping when he did not hear Soundwave follow. "Are you coming or are you malfunctioning again?"

The Communications Officer stood up and walked over to Hook, "Unable to make contact with Nemesis."

Hook lifted a hand to rub at his temples, "Lets just get to the slagging bridge and back to Cybertron. Once there and with decent supplies, I'll check your comsystems."

Soundwave nodded and pulled the data pad from his subspace with the requisitions list for supplies, that Hook had stashed there of course, and read it over. Something was not right, but he couldn't pinpoint exactly what seemed wrong. The last thing he remembered clearly was being attacked by that Autobot in the city and that, checking his chronometer, was a month ago. But then the programming that Hook installed kicked in, and Soundwave falsely remembered that the Autobots had won the fight after destroying the horde and sending all of them back to Nemesis badly wounded. Most of the supplies had been used to repair Megatron, but the injuries to the others were not completed due to a lack of materials. Everything that could be spared on Nemesis was used to create the Horde and there had not been time for a restock before the fight. It seemed the Seekers, Constructicons and himself were still in need of serious repairs and Megatron had sent him with the engineer to garner those supplies.

He stowed the data pad into subspace and followed Hook down the path to the Space Bridge now certain about his mission.

--

I sat in Jetfire's cockpit with my wireless Teletraan 1, looking up information on where we were going and for the radiation signals that the Veritech fighter had found.

"Teotihuacán, 'the place where men become gods' or 'place of those who have the road of the gods', was the name given to the city centuries after it had fallen that reflected the creation myths that took place there. The early history of Teotihuacán and its founders is still a highly debated topic among archaeologists. For many years it was believed to be built by the Toltec, 'great craftsmen', due to Aztec writings, but Teotihuacán predates the Toltec civilization, ruling them out as the city's founders." I held the screen up to the blinking light in Jetfire's cockpit that he spoke through. "It's pretty close to Mexico City, twenty-four miles. Are we going to be okay exploring there?"

"The scanner will take us directly to the source of the signal. It should not take long to remove it to a safer location." Something in Jetfire's voice told me that it wasn't going to be as easy as he made it sound.

I set the wireless back down in my lap. "So tell me about harmonic radiation."

"I am assuming you read about it being primordial radionuclides that decay quickly into the metalloids…"

I nodded quickly. "The highly radioactive metalloids. Yeah, but other than the reference to the elements and a paragraph about the scientific debate on whether it's real or not… It's obvious now that it is real if you found something. You mentioned an item and a scanner and I'm assuming that it has something to do with it. What I don't understand is how it was missed by the archaeological expeditions and why it's so important that we need to move it before the crazy Seeker finds it."

"He wasn't always 'crazy'. Eccentric and unconventional, yes. But not like he is now, concerned with war and power. That is not the Starscream I know and remember." Jetfire corrected me softly and I cringed at my complete lack of sensitivity of the situation. Open mouth. Insert foot.

"I'm sorry, Jetfire. I sometimes forget that you were friends with him."

"It's all right, Rachel. Unfortunately, you have only been exposed to the power hungry Starscream."

I gave a small smile. "You know… when I was captured by him and the other Seekers, he told me he was once a scientist, and he seemed very sad."

"He was one of the best and brightest to ever come from the Academy. Why he stopped with his work and joined the Decepticons, I'll never know." The Veritech fighter sounded just as sad as Starscream had been when he told me.

Time to change the subject. "So… uhm, why is this item so important?"

"Well, it is important for a few reasons. There have been items with similar radiation signals like this found in numerous star systems, usually in or near the ruins of great cities. The Cybertronian archaeologists that have studied the items believe that they were left behind by some ancient space-faring race. If I remember correctly, each artifact was found with multiple scripts on them besides Cybertronian. Some had star charts, some had descriptions of alien technology, and one was found with a text about how the civilization was doomed."

I frowned, "Then why is there one here? The ruins we're going to are ancient to humans, but they aren't to you." I looked at the wireless Teletraan 1. "Earth is a relatively young planet compared to Cybertron. Earliest buildings at the ruins were built a little more that two millennia ago."

"True, but I believe this item, unlike the other one, was brought here."

I scanned over the information I had looked up about the city. "Hmm, aliens visiting pre-Colombian cities. I guess some of the mythology about 'gods' could be about aliens."

Jetfire chuckled, "Interesting hypothesis."

"But you think it was brought here? Why?" I looked at the blinking light.

"Because there was only one signature here when I first came to explore." The gentle scientist paused before continuing. "Now there are three sources of the radiation, the original source, this one, and one that Starscream has."

"So we're making more that one trip?" Wheeljack came over to talk with us.

"Hopefully not. The original signal would be difficult and dangerous to get to, but," Jetfire gave a frustrated sigh. "We definitely can't have Starscream getting his hands on that."

"So what's the difference between the signals?"

"I believe the one at the ruins is an artifact. The other one…" Jetfire paused before answering my question, "Is an Allspark."

"Are you serious?" Wheeljack's vocal processors flickered excitedly. "The Allspark is here?"

"It's not the Allspark, it's an Allspark. The one specific to Earth."

The engineer's optics were wide in surprise, "There is more than one?"

I listened to the two scientists talk over my head as I quickly ran a search over Teletraan 1's databases for 'Allspark'. The amount of information that came up made my head swim, but very little of it was scientific. The 'Allspark' was what Primus used to create life on Cybertron. Supposedly before the universe was born, Primus and the Unmaker fought for control over the Allspark; one wanted to use it to create life, the other wanted to use it to destroy any chance for life… It was an artifact from the Cybertron creation story, and according to Jetfire, there was one of these artifacts from Primus here on Earth.

Now I was very well aware that mechs had a fairly strong belief in Primus, who was in essence like the Judeo-Christian god, but to seriously believe that the 'Allspark' used for the creation of Cybertron actually existed… It was like believing that the 'holy grail' of the Arthurian legends actually existed or that the Shroud of Turin actually had the face of god on it.

I rubbed my forehead in an attempt to focus back on the conversation, but there was a strange feeling of disappointment that I tried to squelch. I guess after seeing and experiencing life with the Autobots and their advanced technology and science I had come to expect more pragmatic beliefs. I can accept another's belief system, but I'm not a religious person and I prefer to base my decisions on empirical observations. Yet, Jetfire said the radiation signature that this artifact gave off was indicative of an item from a creation myth. He's a brilliant mind and I really had no reason to doubt what he said. Maybe it really is this 'Allspark' from Cybertron. Maybe I was about to have my faith in science shaken. Or maybe I was going to witness someone else' belief system shaken.

"You've actually seen an Allspark, Jets?" Wonder filled Wheeljack's optics and made his vocal processor flash animatedly.

"Yes." You could hear the smile in Jetfire's voice, "My mentor was called in to help decipher the runes on one brought back from an archaeological expedition. One day he took me to see it and witness all the work being done to unlock it's secrets. He even read to me what he had already translated on it."

I had to interrupt, "So you really believe that this 'Allspark' from a Cybertronian creation myth exists and that there is one of them on Earth?"

"Yes, and there are probably more scattered throughout the universe. My mentor and the group he was working with believed that there was an Allspark for every star system where life existed." Jetfire mused aloud. "It was an exciting find and the Academy was buzzing about actually having an alien Allspark on Cybertron to study."

I tapped my fingers on the wireless Teletraan 1, weighing my words carefully. "But if the Allspark gives off harmonizing radiation and is thought to exist where life is found, then why were the scientists from the Science Academy saying that it can only be created in a laboratory setting? Is the Allspark that was brought back for study gone?"

"It was probably destroyed at the beginning of the war when the Academies were bombed."

I looked between the flashing light and Wheeljack. "So all the work on it was destroyed as well? Someone had to have survived with notes or experience from it."

"There might be still, but from what I understand, the destruction to Iacon at the start of the war devastated the Academy. Many great minds were lost in the bombings." The light on Jetfire's console flickered wistfully.

Things didn't make sense to me. "But…" I pointed to Wheeljack. "You said earlier that you were taught that harmonizing radiation was a myth, and Jetfire said the Academy was excited to have an Allspark to study, but the blurb in the archives says it pretty much doesn't exist. So why did it go from myth to fact to myth? And if the artifacts also gave off the radiation why isn't that mentioned in the archive, surely the information gathered about all those archaeological finds didn't go missing?"

Jetfire chuckled. "I haven't been back to Cybertron in seven million years, Rachel, so I can't really answer that. But I can guess why the Academy somehow 'lost' the archaeological information and why the archives say nothing about it. There is the ethnocentric belief that Primus used the Allspark to create life on Cybertron, and _only_ on Cybertron. There were many at the Academy who fought against the idea that what had been brought back was an Allspark and that there was proof of more than one."

I shook my head sadly; it seemed humans weren't the only beings that believed they were truly unique in the universe. "So how did they reconcile with there being aliens and ancient civilizations?"

"_The Unmaker created aliens to test the faith of Cybertronians_." Wheeljack snickered. "My fuel pump nearly seized when I first heard that."

I was going to ask another question when my ears started to pop and I could feel Jetfire descending in altitude. "We're here."

--

The early evening air was thick with humidity, rain and peppered with thunder as we started to walk across a small grassy plain to the ruins of the city. Luckily for us, the rain was thick enough to have chased away any straggling tourists, but the ground was so soft and muddy from said rain that giant mech footprints were being left in the ground. Optimus suggested that they walk in single file to cut down on the damage left behind, and I got to be carried up above the waterlogged terrain on Wheeljack's shoulder.

I scrubbed the rain from the wireless Teletraan 1's screen with my sleeve and tried to determine the layout of the ruins from a Mexican Heritage website about Teotihuacán. "That's the Avenue of the Dead and it connects all three of the pyramids. The one to the left is the Pyramid of the Moon, the one in the middle is the Pyramid of the Sun, it's one of the largest pyramids in the Americas, and to the right is the Ciudadela, that's where the Pyramid of Quetzalcóatl, the Feathered Serpent is."

Jetfire pointed of to the left, "Scanner indicates that the artifact is in the Pyramid of the Moon."

"In the temple?" I held a hand up trying to shield my eyes in the dimming rain as we approached it.

"It's just under the cover stones." Jetfire and Wheeljack carefully made their way up the sides of the ziggurat-shaped temple; amazingly the stones did not crumble or break under their feet.

I was set down gently on one of the tiers as the two scientists went over readings from the scanner and plotted how to lift the stones without damaging the temple. Walking over to the massive staircase that led to the top of the pyramid, I noticed there were hieroglyphs and pictograms on the steps and walls. I reached out and ran my wet fingers over their rough surfaces, amazed at the amount of detail that was carved into the stone and how well it had survived two thousand years.

Thinking that Jetfire would be interested in studying the hieroglyphs later, I opened up the wireless Teletraan 1 and started to scan along the staircase. This city had to have been absolutely beautiful when it was first built and people lived here. I traveled along one of the walls still scanning the glyphs as I went when something odd caught my eye. I stopped and took a closer look, running my fingers over the surface of the stone. "Jetfire!"

"Yes, Rachel?"

"There is Cybertronian script carved into the stone here."

There was a set of icy blue optics next to me and I pointed to the wet script. "I can't read what it says."

He followed the script with his finger, "'At the end of time…the greatest twelve must come together and fight…the keys lie within and the guide awaits those who seek…if they should fail…the stars shall spin fast and the great eye of chaos will open and turn all lands into ash… the twelve must prevail over chaos.' Hmmm."

Optimus Prime yelled from below, "Jetfire! Wheeljack! We have incoming!"

--

The black and purple F-15's body crackled with the hot white electricity from the lightning strike. Skywarp laughed and barrel rolled for Starscream, getting just close enough for the electrical current still sparkling over his frame to arc to his wingmate's. "TAG!" He bellowed loudly and teleported away.

The red Seeker cursed up a storm as the electricity played over his wings, "Slag you, 'Warp! When I get my hands on you-"

"You what? Huh?" The black and purple Seeker reappeared above and behind the Air Commander. "Hmm? I'm waitin'. You'll what? Screech at me?"

"You better sleep with one optic open."

Skywarp started to laugh when he was hit by another strike of lightning. There was a low and malicious chuckle that came over the Seeker comlink. "O Starscream…"

Air brakes effectively took the red Seeker out of range for Skywarp to pass on the latest strike. "I don't understand your fascination with lightning, 'Warp."

Skywarp teleported himself upside down right above Starscream and giggled, "It feels good."

"Only you would think that."

The pair streaked through the clouds like that, bodies inches from each other, speeds matched and every movement mirrored perfectly; a synchronous aerial ballet through the stormy twilight skies.

Skywarp was just waiting for another lightning strike to hit. He wondered if the electricity would arc back and forth between them, or if Starscream would get mad enough to attack him. "How much farther?"

The red Seeker checked the scanner just as the ocean below them ended and verdant green fields blotted out the landscape, "We're almost-" A sensor started to chirp rapidly. "Slag! The Autobots are here!"

Skywarp ended the aerial ballet as Vulcan cannons were brought quickly out of subspace and there was the electric hum of the null rays powering up. "I told you that it was a bad idea going to him!"

"Shut up!" Starscream hissed over the radio.

They exited the clouds over a huge city, the lightning now reflecting off the rain on their wings as they transformed and dropped to the soggy grass. "Try to get them away from the artifact. We don't want to damage it with stray fire."

"We wouldn't have this problem, 'Screamer if you hadn't-"

"I said shut up!" The red Seeker snarled at his wingmate.

With weapons raised, the two Seekers stalked up to the six Autobots. Starscream's optics roamed over the group before landing on Jetfire. His lips pulled back in a disgusted sneer, "I should have known I couldn't trust you to not get involved, Jetfire. You must enjoy blundering into dangerous situations that you know _nothing_ about."

Icy blue optics gazed at the Seeker as thunder rumbled through the valley, "I'd wager I know more than you believe I do, Starscream."

"That is a bet you would lose!" The Air Commander spat back at the white Veritech. "And you Prime… I said we didn't need your help. Collect your precious Autobots and go home."

The Autobot leader crossed his arms over his glossy chest plate, the rain making the line of Autobots glisten in the pale light from their optics. "We're not leaving, Starscream."

The Vulcan cannons rumbled and Skywarp glared at the group, "You have no choice, Prime. It belongs to us!"

"Relics of this nature need to be studied at the Academy, Starscream." Jetfire still stood on the top tier of the temple, his arms out slightly at his sides. "You should know that."

"The Academy would have no idea what they were looking at!" The null ray came up and Starscream aimed directly at the gentle scientist. "Now stand aside, Jetfire."

"Starscream…I cannot let you have this artifact."

"And what are you going to do with it? Hmm? Lock it up in the Autobot base? Stand aside and let us have what is _rightfully_ ours." Lightning forked behind the Seekers giving them a demonic silhouette pierced by their red optics.

The icy blue optics looked at the red Seeker thoughtfully, "How is it rightfully yours?"

"It belongs to the Seekers, you glitching idiot!" Skywarp's cannons took aim on the Veritech. "Back away from it, now."

"Don't shoot at him while he's in front of it!" Starscream snarled over their comlink.

"I know that!" The black and purple Seeker snarled back.

Jetfire looked back and forth between the two, "How does it belong to the Seekers?"

"That is none of your business, Jetfire! Now step aside!"

The Veritech raised an optic ridge as he regarded Starscream, "You're unusually verbose this evening. If this artifact is that important to you, than why haven't you shot at us to get at it?"

Starscream scowled, his blood red optics narrowing. "What good is it to me if it gets destroyed in the fight?"

"What do you need it for?"

"How many times do I have to say this? _It's none of your business_!"

Jetfire crossed his massive arms over his cockpit and tapped his foot lightly on the edge of the pyramid, small rivulets of water flowing down his body splattered with the movement. "Well, I'm not budging, so you better do something other than yell and posture."

"Just hit him with the null ray, 'Screamer. I'll take out the rest." Skywarp growled.

Starscream locked optics with Jetfire, one glowering in fury, the other smirking slightly.

"Come on! Just shoot him and get it over with!"

The red Seeker shook with rage. If it had been anything else…

He roared ferociously, throwing his arms into the air and stalking towards the Autobots, his optics on fire as he glared at Jetfire. Weapons were raised at him as he neared the base of the pyramid, but he just pushed his way through the mechs. If the annoying Autobots were going to be like this… "Get out of my way, Autobot-scum!"

Anti-gravs were activated once he was clear of the mechs on the ground and he floated to the top of the temple, cutting a graceful arc through the rain. He stopped in front of Jetfire and continued their staring contest, his lip components curling back in a disfiguring snarl. "Just stay out of my way."

The gentle scientist nodded to the Seeker with a grin and let him pass.

Skywarp's anti-gravs activated and he jumped over the line of Autobots, ignoring them taking aim at him. He landed almost soundlessly on the temple and crossed his arms over his cockpit, glaring at the two Autobots who, as far as he was concerned, intruded on his domain. Once he was sure they were very aware of his displeasure, he grinned at the young woman who had taken refuge behind Jetfire, "Hey femme."

Rachel stared at him strangely a moment, "Uh, hi."

The black and purple Seeker smirked and turned his attention to Starscream, who had knelt down and was reading over the hieroglyphics silently. He glanced at the hieroglyphics; all three of them were able to decipher the Cybertronian glyphs. He'd seen enough of them by now to be able to read the ancient dialect, but Thundercracker was the best at the writing stuff, he was the one who had most of the scripts translated. Unfortunately, most of it seemed to be inane babbling. Skywarp was more interested in what was on the artifact. So far they had found useful stuff that Starscream could make work easily, and he was always looking forwards to finding another artifact that would give him more toys to play with.

Skywarp grinned maliciously at the two Autobots; it was a rather nice feeling that he knew what was going on and they were clueless. Lightning interlaced electrical fingers of plasma across the night sky and the black and purple Seeker barely suppressed a snicker as he wondered if the Auto-dolts could handle getting struck by lightning while standing on the temple.

Jetfire careful turned and knelt down by Starscream; his optics split watching for what the red Seeker was reading and for his facial expressions. "I take it you know this Cybertronian dialect?"

Narrow red optics met the icy blue ones, "Of course I know the dialect!"

"Why is it so important to the Seekers?"

"Hmmph!" Starscream's attention went back to the glyphs. "It just is."

Jetfire pointed out part of the inscription, "'The keys lie within and the guide awaits those who seek.' Does that mean anything to you?"

"If it did, do you think I would tell you?" Starscream didn't even bother to look at him. He stood up suddenly and looked at Wheeljack, "Did you try to open it yet?"

The engineer shrugged noncommittally.

The red Seeker looked down at Jetfire, "Well, did you?"

"Not yet."

He gave a martyred sigh. "Then back up."

Thunder and lightning raced across the sky as Starscream traced over the script with his fingers before finding what he was looking for. He touched an inset glyph near the staircase and there was a loud rumble that mimicked the thunder and the pyramid started to shake. Cracks appeared in the ancient stonework and crumbling pieces started to fall off the top tiers. Jetfire lifted the young woman up off the disintegrating temple tiers and lifted his feet when the piece he stood on started to shift.

As the temple shook off the final remnants of the stone, a milky white pyramid-shaped crystal appeared. It seemed to be lit from the inside; an eerie white glow seeped out from the crystal, turning the falling rain a thin pale gray color. The strange glow played across the four mechs features giving them a hollow and haunted look and their armor a dead gray color. The builders of the temple had somehow built the temple around the massive semi-transparent white crystal and then covered the giant pyramid with a stone plaster that kept every detail of the pictograms and scripts. It was held in place and centered at the base with four statues of elaborately carved feathered birds, their beaks holding each of the pyramid's points. The two sets of blue optics were wide in fascination as they drank in the beauty of the crystal, while the blood red sets looked on with a knowing smirk.

Starscream pulled a data pad and a handheld sensor out of subspace and started to work, scanning and taking notes about the crystal. Jetfire watched the Seeker noting what drew his attention the most and using his own internal scanners to try and determine exactly what Starscream was the most interested in. The crystal was covered in glyphs: the pictographs, the Cybertronian script and the script that Jetfire's mentor had read from. The gentle scientist wondered if Starscream knew what it said, but he didn't ask.

There was one facet of the pyramid face that wasn't covered with the scripts. Instead, it depicted what looked to be a rather large and oddly shaped star-chart that connected multiple star systems. Jetfire got up and took a closer look at it, his optics following the angles that were mapped out and connecting the systems. There were 144 total and he could easily spot Earth's and Cybertron's systems on the chart plus a few others he had visited, but the way they were mapped out was peculiar. The artifact had transparent layers to it, but the star systems were mapped out on a flat plane, as if the author of the chart had purposely flattened space. The chart also had all 144 systems converge on one specific point in the absolute center. It seemed rather odd to Jetfire that the creator of the artifact went to so much trouble to cover the surface with layers of glyphs and pictograms and then distort the star chart. It was puzzling to say the least, but Jetfire didn't have the time to study every aspect in as much detail as he wanted to. He sent a message to Wheeljack and the others to record everything they could, especially the glyphs and pictograms. The recorded data would have to do for now.

Jetfire set Rachel down, "Please continue to scan the scripts, Rachel." She nodded and started to scan the pictograms on the tier at the base of the amazing crystal. He watched over her shoulder, pointing out certain symbols and peering into the tiny computer she was using. She would respond softly, following his directions and scanning what he would point out.

Starscream scowled to look over at the two; it was bad enough that Jetfire and the Autobots were there, but that the gentle scientist was enlisting the help of that femme was too much for the Seeker. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Jetfire stood up and looked at Starscream with a faint smile, "Taking notes. It's been a long time since I was able to examine one of these artifacts up close."

Two sets of narrow red optics focused on the gentle scientist, "You didn't say you studied one."

The Veritech looked back and forth between the two annoyed Seekers. "You didn't ask, Starscream."

The Seeker growled and Jetfire went back to pointing things out to the young woman. Getting fed up, Starscream stomped over to them and leaned down to get a look at what Jetfire was instructing her to do. To her credit, the femme backed away from him and moved closer to Jetfire. The Seeker smirked, "Show me what you are doing."

She looked nervously up at the Air Commander and then up at Jetfire, who nodded to her. "It's okay, Rachel. Show him."

She turned the tiny screen towards Starscream and pointed to some of the carved pictograms that she had scanned. "Archaeologists… Human archaeologists have been able to decipher some of the glyphs used… So I was running a Boolean search to see if any of these matched…"

"And?" Starscream prompted her to get on with it.

She glared at the Seeker and pointed at the wall. "That series is about the horizon points that the temples line up with… That one means 'to bring'… This one means the pyramid… And that one represents the feathered serpent… And that one is a date…"

Starscream snorted loudly, "How very enlightening." He stood up and looked at Jetfire, but the gentle scientist was still looking at the pictograms.

Jetfire tilted his head to one side, "What points on the horizon do the temples line up with?"

Rachel typed something into the tiny computer, "It's a point that the sun sets on twice a year… Hmm, August 12 and April 29. Wait, that's…" She typed something else and then pointed to a glyph on the wall. "This one would be August 12 on a solar calendar, but it's a specific date, not a once a year date."

"Is it a dedication date for the completion of the temple? Many cultures do that and celebrate the date as a holy day."

"No, that's not it…" She read along the screen with her fingers for a minute. "Huh. Okay, the glyph for the feathered serpent? They marked the date feathered serpent arrived… And that it brought them a gift." She looked up at Jetfire. "August 12, 3114 BCE was when the feathered serpent brought them the crystal."

"So the temple was built one thousand years after the artifact was brought to Earth."

Lightning filled the sky with bright white lace before slamming into a nearby tree. The young woman yelped in fear and cowered against the Veritech's leg. Jetfire calmed her down and the red Seeker just snickered. The humans were useful for humor and it was _slightly_ interesting that they had protected the artifact by building a temple for it.

A shaken Rachel held her wireless computer up and pointed to the screen. "Yeah, but here's the really strange thing. Nowadays, we use a calendar that counts up, but their calendar system counts down. Its call the 'long count calendar', and it's still counting down."

"What does it count down to?"

She turned the wireless computer around, "December 21, 2012." She looked up at Jetfire, "Didn't it mention something about the end of time in the script?"

"Yes. 'At the end of time, the greatest twelve must come together and fight, the keys lie within and the guide awaits those who seek, if they should fail the stars shall spin fast and the great eye of chaos will open and turn all lands into ash, the twelve must prevail over chaos.'"

"Well, according to this that will happen on December 21, 2012. But," She looked up into icy blue optics. "People world-wide have been going on for awhile about this 'doomsday calendar' of pre-Columbian civilizations and how the world will end in 2012. And if you add in all these odd new-age believers and you get a bunch of strange made up mysticism…junk."

Jetfire turned to look at the Seeker, "So the supposed end of the Earth is what you were wanting to find out? I find that slightly disappointing for all the trouble and arguing, yet I don't see how this relates to the Seekers at all."

Lightning forked through the sky, silhouetting Starscream so that only his blood red optics shone in the dark. "You wouldn't. I don't see why you are still here. Obviously your involvement has been a hassle and your troubles fruitless."

"Why don't you explain it to me then, Starscream. You never know, I might be able to help you." Jetfire's ever calm voice brushed quietly through the storm.

"You _can't_ help us and we _don't_ want your help, Jetfire." The Air Commander crossed his arms over his cockpit and glared. "Now that your curiosity has been sated, you and the rest of the Autobot can leave."

"Actually, my curiosity is just getting warmed up." The Veritech looked at Starscream as another bolt of lightning forked through the night sky. "Why is this so important to you and what are you carrying that emits the harmonic radiation signature?"

Skywarp's optics slid between the two mech as he opened the Seeker's comlink, "How does he know about the data pad?"

Starscream frowned at Jetfire as he answered Skywarp back. "He doesn't. He must have a scanner as well." The red Seeker tried to look as annoyed as possible and convey that annoyance in his glare to the Veritech. "What I carry is my business and I've already told you repeatedly that _this is none of your concern_. Now will you take the hint and your Autobot friends and clear out?"

The storm above roiled and threw a massive bolt of white-hot plasma down upon the giant crystal's apex. The electricity crackled along its surface as it traveled over glyphs on its way down to the base of the temple. There was some yelling and some of the group jumped clear of the pyramid as it arced, but Skywarp took a direct hit from one of the stray bolts directly to his chest. The black and purple Seeker was knocked clear off the temple and hit the soggy grass below with a dull thud. Before the rest of the bolt had diffused, Starscream was at his side and checking him over for damage.

"You glitching idiot. What did you do, stick your hand out to catch it? You and your fascination with the stupid lightning!"

Skywarp's optics fluttered opened, "That one was a little too intense." He sat up with a slight groan and he gave his wingmate a lopsided grin. "Aw, did I worry widdle 'Screamer? Nice to know you care."

Ratchet and the others had run over to where Skywarp had fallen when the red Seeker yanked his wingmate up onto his feet with a growl, "We'll come back later when there aren't so many meddling Autobots around."

"Are you all right?"

"He's fine and we're leaving." Starscream glared at Jetfire again. "Study the slagging thing if you must, but you won't find anything useful from it."

"You do realize that we will move it, Starscream."

The Air Commander snorted loudly, "I'm afraid you'll find that one of this size won't budge easily."

The two Seekers jumped into the air and circled over the top of the crystal pyramid before transforming. Skywarp looked at the Autobots, "Are you sure they can't move it?"

"Doesn't matter. I've scanned the entire top and I put a tracer on it. Anyways, it goes much deeper than what you can see, and even if they had every Autobot here on Earth trying to move it, it will be difficult to free from the base and get it back to their headquarters."

"Did we get anything good from it?"

Starscream sighed. He had hoped an artifact this big would have something useful on it. "No technology on this one, but it did have an odd star chart."

--

The Autobots stood in the rain and watched as the Seekers disappeared into the clouds.

Wheeljack's vocal processors flashed in curiosity, "Well, what do you make of that?"

Jetfire shook his head and looked at the giant crystal, realizing that moving it to a safer location was not a reasonable option at the moment. He turned to look at the others, "I'm not sure, but I do have more questions than I have answers."

--

Starscream cringed as he messed up the lab. Things that were not in neat and pristine order always grated on the Air Commander's nerves. He even regretted giving Skywarp directions on making the lab look like he had been working constantly. But with their running about after the radiation signals and building the new scanners the lab wasn't nearly as dirty as it should have looked if he had been working solely on Megatron.

"So you want me to give the place a 'lived in' look?" The black and purple Seeker smirked mischievously.

A martyred sigh escaped Starscream's lips, "Yes, but don't go overboard. Megatron won't believe that I've been in here and working if the place is a complete disaster."

Skywarp glanced around the lab casually, "So… what would you neurotically keep organized and what would you leave mucked up to fix later?"

The red Seeker pointed to the worktable with the metal and wire scraps from his recalibration of the scanners and then to the floor, "Start with those. You have a head start on dumping the slag on the floor, anyways."

"Too bad you sent TC out already," Skywarp took great pleasure in flicking the rest of the scraps about the room. "All we'd need is for him to boom once in here and it would send the stuff flying."

"It would also destroy the computers and all of the monitors, you glitchmouse."

"HEY!" A large piece of scrap metal hit the back of Starscream's helmet as his wingmate retaliated for the name-calling. The Air Commander stifled a chuckle and grinned as he dropped metal shavings on the floor.

Skywarp glared at his wingmate. "What are you so happy about, anyways? You're about to bring Megatron back online."

Starscream turned and looked at the black and purple Seeker, "Last few moments of freedom."

An optic ridge rose on the mischievous Seeker's face, "Why don't we just leave him offline?"

The Air Commander had asked himself that question over a million times while he worked on the warlord's injuries. He frowned; that nagging feeling that something was amiss wriggled its way into his head every time he'd convince himself that their 'glorious leader' should be sent to the scrap heap. And as much as he wanted to melt the bastard down, that stupid glitching feeling would rear its ugly head. No, he had to reactivate Megatron.

"I have to," Starscream shook his head. "Call it a Seeker hunch."

Skywarp muttered and mocked his wingmate, "Call it a hunch." He then 'casually' dropped a tool on the floor and 'accidentally' kicked it under the table. "Hey 'Screamer? How come your hunches didn't work on finding the data pad sooner or the other signals, huh?" His answer came swiftly and he yelped as he barely teleported away in time to avoid a blast from the null ray.

Starscream scowled at Skywarp and then at the blast pattern on the wall. That definitely gave the lab that 'lived in' feel. He sighed. "Inexperience, and leave it at that."

Another tool hit the floor and the red Seeker turned to glare at his wingmate. Purple hands went up into the air defensively even though the mischievous Seeker smirked. Starscream sighed and said tool went skittering across the floor somewhere while Skywarp looked at the ceiling nonchalantly.

"Let's just get this over with." Starscream pulled a stack of data pads out of subspace and set them on the nearest bench and out of the way of Skywarp's attention. He unhooked the cabling that kept the warlord on what amounted to mech life support and slowly brought him out of stasis lock. The two Seekers then genuflected and placed their right hands over their sparks, ready and waiting for Megatron to awaken.

Blood red optics flickered to life and Megatron, leader of the Decepticons, checked his internal chronometer, "Starscream." His malevolent voice made the temperature of the room drop dramatically. "Why have I been offline for so long?"

"Your wounds were far more complex than I had expected. It took…" The Air Commander cringed as he was forced to say it, "It took longer for me to repair your wounds as I am not familiar with non-Seeker anatomy."

Megatron arose and looked around the lab. There were old schematics on one monitor and numerous tools left haphazardly on one table. He narrowed his optics, "I see you didn't bother to keep up appearances."

The urge to mouth off at the warlord was so tempting, but Starscream bit his tongue and opted for a more gentile approach to Megatron. He gave a martyred sigh as stood up and gathered the data pads, holding the stack out to the warlord. "Energon stores are at triple capacity. Repairs to Nemesis were satisfactorily completed one Earth week ago. There has been little resistance from the Autobots since the battle, it seems they are not as interested in stopping our raids. And I have sent Thundercracker back to Cybertron with requisitions to Shockwave to obtain us a competent medical team and a new gestalt along with an extensive list to restock some of our depleted materials. Thundercracker took two thousand energon cubes with him and he is under orders to recruit the best of the War Academy to flesh out our ranks."

Megatron looked at the Seeker peculiarly. Starscream was up to something. As a precaution, the warlord ran a systems check against the 'repairs' Starscream reportedly did, but found nothing out of place. He took the data pads and threw a bone to the Air Commander, "You have done… well, Starscream."

--

Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


	5. To Start Down the Paths of Darkness

_A/N: I am so sorry that this is taking me so long to write. I had wanted to be so much farther along in the story due to something that took place on Christmas Eve -dun dun dun- but now you'll have to wait until I can churn out at least another chapter or two. On the plus side! We have Jazz and Rachel fluff! Yay! And then of course we have bad things happen and then... well you'll have to read and see. -evil grin-_

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews are given much love. Please please please let me know if you like this story!

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 5 – To Start Down the Paths of Darkness**

Hook smirked as they approached the Space Bridge, there was only one guard and he looked to be a lowly piece of cannon fodder. The Constructicon engineer sized up the bored looking mech: young with a vaguely human helicopter alternate mode. Hook shook his head with a chuckle; he doubted the 'guard' could keep glitch-mice from entering the Space Bridge.

Soundwave had finally caught up to him as they crossed the plain to where the massive transportation device sat. Upon seeing the large mechs and realizing it was the Communications Officer and the engineer, the bored guard straightened up and saluted briskly, "All hail Megatron!" His vocal processor cracked as he squeaked in greeting. "There have been no signs of Autobot activity in the area, sir!"

Hook just shook his head again with a smirk. Young and eager to please and probably the first to die if another battle took place here. Thus was the life of cannon fodder in the Decepticon army.

Soundwave entered the security authorization into the command console. The bored guard's face fell and he slumped slightly when neither Hook nor Soundwave acknowledged his presence.

The doors slid open and both mechs stepped inside. Hook crossed his arms over his chest plate and sighed loudly, he had to keep up the appearance that he was not thrilled about being sent on a mission for 'basic supplies'. "I could be working on any of my important projects right now, but no. I get stuck on a supply run with you." He glared at Soundwave, secretly enjoying the situation, "I guess you are better company for this trip than Starscream."

"Comment acknowledged." Came the monotone reply as Soundwave activated the Space Bridge.

The transportation device started up slowly, making the engineer groan. This archaic piece of scrap was painful to travel in, let alone look at. Lights on the internal console blinked to life as they gathered the telemetry and warmed up the cyclotronic generators. There was the sudden pull from the increase of gravity as the beam of light dematerialized their forms. The dusty brown landscape of the mud ball planet melted away to be replaced by the cool hued plating of the opposite end of the Space Bridge. The doors opened with a graceful swish and the two mechs stepped through into the Decepticon base on Cybertron.

Hook couldn't help but smile. The Constructicons had designed and built the grand headquarters and the aesthetic beauty of the place still pleased his discerning optics.

The Guardian of Cybertron, Shockwave, turned around from the computer control boards where he monitored everything that happened in the headquarters and surrounding city. The large dark purple mech with the single golden optic looked carefully over the two newcomers before greeting them, "All hail Megatron. I did not receive a communication that you were arriving, Soundwave."

"All hail Megatron. Repairs to the Nemesis are incomplete. Communications were damaged in Autobot attack." The dark blue mech subspaced the data pads and held them out to Shockwave. "Megatron has ordered supplies to be sent to Earth for repairs."

Shockwave took the data pads and read over them. "I can procure the majority of the materials in 700 astro-seconds." He looked up at the engineer, his golden optic narrowing in distrust. "The rest will take slightly longer."

Hook looked down his nose at the dark purple mech. The out-of-date walking scrap heap could go take jump out an air lock for all he cared.

The golden optic flashed again, "I should report to Megatron that you have arrived and that I will have his requested supplies sent back promptly."

The engineer smirked the moment the dark purple mech's back turned. _Go right a head and try to contact him._ He subspaced a small device and activated it as Shockwave opened a comlink to Earth. "Shockwave calling Nemesis. Respond."

The monitor screen filled with noisy static and Hook crossed his arms over his chest plate with a belabored sigh.

The dark purple mech turned ever so slightly to look at the engineer over his shoulder. The Constructicon was up to something. He turned back to his monitors and tried to hail Earth again. "Shockwave calling Nemesis. Respond."

There was still nothing but static.

"If you are done proving that the repairs to the communication systems are not functional, we would like to gather the supplies and return. I have more important things to do besides stand here." Hook gave an annoyed glare to Shockwave.

"I will have them ready and brought here in under four cycles."

--

Hook stared in disbelief at the primitive 'carts' that Shockwave had filled with the supplies. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"It was all I could obtain in such short notice." The single golden optic flashed at him with malicious glee. "You should have no trouble transporting the supplies since your alternate form was created for such _menial_ tasks."

The engineer's fists opened and closed in fury. How dare this sycophant of Megatron's insult him in this way?

Soundwave stood by passively as the two mechs stared each other down; their petty bickering meant nothing to him. "Acknowledged receipt of supplies. Begin transport of supplies to Space Bridge, Hook."

The Constructicon snarled as he transformed and Soundwave attached the carts to him. Shockwave entered the codes to activate the Space Bridge, but he couldn't let Hook go without a parting comment. "You should repair the communication systems at once, engineer. I'm certain our leader would like current reports from Cybertron. All hail Megatron."

The doors slid shut, effectively ending any further sniping and began the cycle to transport them back to Earth.

The dusty brown landscape appeared and the young guard stood at attention once again for their return. "All hail Megatron." And once again he was completely ignored.

Soundwave started to unhitch the carts from Hook as the engineer transformed and opened a comlink to the other Constructicons. _"We have returned. Meet at the Space Bridge immediately."_

The sound of weapons fire heralded Scrapper's response. _"We are all ready here."_

The young guard's optics flashed as he was hit from behind and he crumpled to the ground. Soundwave was easily taken offline by Hook's control device. The five other Constructicons walked out from behind the Space Bridge and started to look over the contents of the carts, evaluating the parts and supplies.

Hook smirked at Scrapper, "I'm surprised that the guard did not notice you."

"Heh. He would not have noticed if his weapon went off in his hand." They both looked at the offlined mech. "Shame that Megatron has mechs like this one guarding something so important." Scrapper looked at Soundwave. "Did he function correctly?"

Hook shot the Constructicon a foul glare. "Are you saying that my work would fail?"

Scrapper glared back at Hook. "No. I want to know if the work you did was able to fool Shockwave."

The engineer smirked bitterly. "Yes. Unfortunately, that writhing pile of slag insulted me and tried to contact Megatron."

"An insult is worth proper supplies."

An alarm went off and Scrapper pulled his weapons out of subspace. "There is an Autobot here!"

The six spread out and searched for the intruder. Longhaul found the nearly dead Autobot behind some rocks and dragged him back to the Space Bridge. "Was he spying on us? Did he call for back up?"

Hook leaned over the red Autobot and evaluated his condition. "He's been offline for days and his powercore is nearly depleted. He doesn't have the energy to make a distress call."

"What is he doing out here then?"

The engineer pulled one of the poor quality energon cubes from his subspace and held it to the lips of the Autobot. "Let's find out, shall we?"

--

The blackness that had felt so welcoming started to melt away as the foul liquid was forced down his throat. Cliffjumper coughed and spluttered trying to bat at whomever was making the darkness flee. His optics reluctantly flickered open and slowly focused on the mech that was feeding him.

As Hook's faceplate came into view, Cliffjumper tried to enter battle mode by pulling his weapons from subspace, but he was too weak to even hold them and they clattered to the ground. The Constructicons gathered around him laughed and he could only scowl. "Slaggin' 'Cons…"

"Now that wasn't a nice thing to say to the mech who just saved your pathetic life." Hook grinned maliciously. "What are you doing out here all alone in the desert, little Autobot?"

"None of your slaggin' business." Cliffjumper's head felt like it was going to roll off his neck.

"Oh, but it is our business since you're here."

The minibot coughed. "Go to the Pit."

"Hmmm, no." Hook shook his head. "But I can send you there."

"Then hurry up and do it already." Any trace of heat from Cliffjumper's voice was quickly fading.

"What, no fighting back? No, 'wait 'til Optimus Prime gets here'?"

"Just do it already."

"So willing to die."

Cliffjumper held his head up painfully to glare at the Constructicon, but his anger melted as he saw Windcharger with the gaping wound in his chest plate just over his shoulder. "I didn't mean it, 'Charger. It just… happened… slag, I didn't meant it…." The red Autobot's voice drifted.

The other mechs stood there looking confused at whatever had drawn the Autobot's attention. Intrigued, the engineer pulled a handheld scanner from his subspace and ran some tests on the Autobot noting that there was significant damage to the mech's CPU and memory. He opened a channel to Scrapper. _"He is damaged, but I'm sure I can repair him."_

Scrapper looked at Hook like he was crazy. _"And why would we need a malfunctioning Autobot?"_

"_He would be useful in stealing supplies and information from the Autobots, and to keep track on Megatron's plans."_

Scrapper shook his head. _"Isn't using Soundwave enough?"_

"_There is nothing wrong with overlapping plans."_

"_Fine. But I highly doubt you can get this one to come quietly."_

Hook smirked at his teammate and turned his attention back to Cliffjumper. "What is your name, Autobot?"

"Go slag yerself."

Hook tried to look sympathetic. "I know you didn't want for it to happen, Autobot."

"You dun know nuthin'." Cliffjumper was slowly losing consciousness and was slurring his words.

"It must be horrible to feel all of this pain from your actions. Isn't it?"

Blue optics locked briefly with red and Cliffjumper managed a small shake of his head.

"What if I offered to take that pain away, to offer your absolution from your actions?"

Cliffjumper shook his head again, this time a littler stronger. "Slag y' dirty 'Con."

"But I can. I can easily take away all of that guilt you must be feeling. Because we know that you didn't mean for it to happen."

Cliffjumper's optics flickered on and off. Hook's faceplate swam in and out of focus as he wished himself offline. But it didn't work and in one of those moments of final lucidity, Windcharger appeared again behind the Constructicon. "Why don't y' let me die already. The Pit is waitin' fer me…"

Hook lifted the energon cube up and poured some more of the disgusting liquid on Cliffjumper's faceplate. "The Pit isn't waiting, Autobot. It was an… a_ccident_. I can fix all of that for you. Wouldn't your friend want you to continue to live on? Surely another Autobot would not wish death on his friend over an _accident_."

Reality spun for Cliffjumper as he coughed. The Decepticon's words actually made _sense_. It was just an accident. Windcharger was hurt because of that worthless femme. His best friend wouldn't want him to die over a misunderstanding.

"What do you say, Autobot? Do you accept my promise of absolution or would you rather we watch you die slowly and painfully?"

Cliffjumper nodded his head numbly.

"Ah. Good. See Scrapper? I knew this Autobot would want our… _help_." Hook grinned smugly at the others before turning his attention back on the minibot. He opened a panel on his neck and sent Cliffjumper into stasis lock. "This won't hurt a bit."

--

Jetfire sat cross-legged next to my desk in the med bay with a pile of data pads around him while I searched for everything I could find about ancient human cultures that had any connections to astronomy. Though it was not my area of study, I was amazed at the intricate and detailed stellar observations made by early civilizations. I knew the Greeks studied astronomy, but I was completely unaware that civilizations worldwide also had lengthy ties to astronomy and astronomical phenomenon.

I downloaded another data pad for the gentle scientist about Amerindian calendars and astronomical 'clocks' used by pre-Columbian societies and looked around for a pile to place it that didn't look like it was about to topple over. I gave up looking and settled to reading it myself. I didn't mind being his research assistant, and I needed to know something about what we were looking for as well.

"I'm astounded at how many human societies based so much of their lives on astronomy. Calendars, growing cycles, navigation, even the construction of cities are based on the positioning of the sun and stars." Jetfire set one data pad down and picked up another one to scan. He briefly looked up at me with a smile only to be shocked to find me nearly buried alive in data pads. "You've found this much information?"

"And I'm still finding more. I never knew just how many civilizations used astronomy." I held up the data pad I had been reading, giving it a wave over the stacks. "I found more on the calendar." I looked back at the pad. "It's called… Tzolk'in, 'The Sacred Round of 260 Days'. It's got both the Cybertronian and the Mesoamerican hieroglyphs."

"May I see that?"

I offered it up to him and he carefully took the data pad from me. "Go right ahead. I've got plenty of other stuff to read through."

He chuckled, "You don't have to read all of it, Rachel."

I pulled a data pad free of a pile on the floor about the solstices at Stonehenge and Newgrange. "I have to if I'm going to be of any help to you." I peeked over the stacks at him. "And I have to learn the old fashion way by reading it, though right now I wish I could scan through all of these and have it as reference at any time."

"Can't you download it to your wireless Teletraan?"

"I'm doing that as well, but I still need to have a working knowledge of the information so I know what to run a search for." I sat back down with my data pad to read when one of the towering stacks of my reading material wobbled and fell over. I looked at the scattered pads on the floor and then to Jetfire sheepishly. "Oops."

The Veritech chuckled and started to scoop them up while I tried to make surrounding piles more stable. "At least they weren't in any order."

The doors to the med bay slid open and just by the sound of his internal systems and jaunty steps I knew exactly who it was. With an excited 'whoop' I dodged through the mounds of data pads and ran across the room, grabbing his leg and hugging him tightly. Jazz laughed and put his hands around me. "I take that t' mean y' missed me."

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Jazz." I snuggled up against his warm armor and smiled. "And I'm so glad you came back safe, you were gone for so long this time."

That singsong voice and that disarming smile of his melted away the loneliness from having to wait for him. "Aw, I missed y' t', Rach. And y' had nothin' t' worry about. The 'Cons have been exceptionally quiet."

"Funny that you say that… we've had a handful of meetings with the Seekers and we got to go to Mexico City in the rain." I looked up at him and grinned. "While you've been out sneaking around it's been quite busy around here."

"Oh, really? Seems like I missed out on all the fun." Jazz chuckled as he looked over to Jetfire who was still sitting among the stacks of data pads. "Whatcha two doin'? Tryin' t' rebuild the Library of Iacon?"

"Hello Jazz." Jetfire smiled from inside the stacks, "Rachel and I are researching ancient Earth cultures and their use of astronomy."

Jazz's interest was instantly piqued; anything having to do with Earth culture drew him like a moth to a flame. We walked over to the mess that at one time was my desk and the floor surrounding it and Jazz picked up one of the data pads scanning quickly through it. "Doin' some light readin', Jets?"

I went back to hugging Jazz while Jetfire explained about everything that had happened. From Starscream's interest in the harmonizing radiation signals to finding the artifact in the temple to his discovery of an Earthen Allspark to the theory that wherever life existed in the universe there was an Allspark that created it.

Jazz smiled at me mischievously as he put down the data pad. "Sounds interestin', Jets. Maybe I could help y' out some. Of course that would be after I borrow y're assistant. It's been awhile since I got t' spend any time wit' my Rachel. I promise I'll bring her back."

I blushed like a giddy schoolgirl; I would go weak in the knees every time he called me 'his Rachel'.

The Veritech smiled and waved us on, "Go right ahead. I have enough to scan through to keep me busy for cycles."

I smiled at the gentle scientist, "Thanks, Jetfire. I'll be back later to help search for more information."

"T' the lounge for a drink?" Jazz grinned at me as he reached up and scratched the back of his helmet with a laugh. "I jus' got through givin' my reports and came straight t' find y'."

I patted his leg as we walked out of the med bay, "I bet you're staved for something other than field rationed energon."

"Hmm, a little." He gave me an impish grin. "More like I'm starved for attention from y'."

I was instantly blushing and I gave him a playful smack, "You keep talking like that and people will think there is something going on between us."

He stopped in the middle of the hallway, spreading his arms wide. "I don't care what people think. I'd sing t' the heavens about how much I love y', Rachel."

I gazed up at him with my cheeks burning and smiled softly at him, "Do you know that I think you're the most perfect being in the entire universe?"

"Naw, but I already knew I was the best." Jazz giggled at me.

I gasped giving him a frustrated look and smacked his leg with the back of my hand. "Feeling a little vain today, are we? Sheesh, you pay someone a compliment…"

He giggled again and gave me a playful poke, "So does that mean y're not comin' t' the lounge wit' the vain 'bot?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Jetfire needs me to help sort through all of the data I gathered…" I looked airily back down the hallway.

He feigned being wounded, "Aww, y' wouldn't deny a mech time wit' his girl, would y'?"

I gave him a wily look, "Well…I guess not. But he'd need to take her stargazing and give her lots of hugs."

Jazz's arms swooped down quickly and grabbed me in an oversized hug, "Done deal! Now lets get somethin' t' drink."

--

We headed outside after getting Jazz some energon and me a soda, still flirting with each other unmercifully. It was much later than I had expected and the twilight sky was starting to glitter with stars. I talked his audios off as we headed over to the place we had claimed as our stargazing spot so many months ago. I knew he couldn't tell me about his sneaky missions, but that was okay since I had all sorts of things to tell him.

"You wouldn't believe the lightning storm we were in and the rain was coming down in sheets. And I found Cybertronian glyphs on the temple steps and then Starscream and Skywarp showed up to check out the temple and the energy signature, but instead of a shoot out Starscream pushed past everyone and glared at Jetfire. And then he did something to the pyramid and it opened up and we were actually working side-by-side with him. It was so weird." Everything came out in a rush and Jazz laughed as he sat down.

"Sounds like quite an adventure."

I nodded and sat down on the grass next to him. "It was… and the weirdest part was that the Seekers didn't seem to want to fight. They were more interested in the temple and the artifact. They said they were looking for something that was important only to them and it was almost as if they're willing to put up with Jetfire and us just to get at whatever it is they are looking for."

We sat back in the grass and stared up into the night sky, which quickly reminded me that all the research done today was about ancient human cultures that led their lives by watching the stars. I found and pointed out the blue star that Cybertron revolved around and made Jazz promise to me for the millionth time to take me there to see his homeworld.

He just laughed, "How long are y' goin' t' keep askin' me that?"

The March night was still chilly and I scooted closer to Jazz for warmth. "I'll stop asking the day we can stand side by side on Cybertron." I rolled over onto my elbows and peered at his azure visor, "I wish we could do it when the war is over and your home is peaceful and whole, but I'm afraid that won't happen in my lifetime. So just being there with you and not being shot at will have to do for now."

Jazz turned to look at me thoughtfully for a moment, "Y' never know, Rach. Maybe the war will end soon and we can go back wit'out worryin' about the 'Cons. I'd love it if y' could see Iacon at night. All the towers lit up like shinin' jewels… I think y'd love it."

I smiled at him softly, "If it's as beautiful as you say it is, then you know I'll love it."

He ran a finger down my cheek and under my chin. He always did that when he wanted to see me smile just for him. I rested my head against his hand and let my smile spread across my face. "But it will never be as beautiful as y're, Rachel."

--

_The gaping black abyss opened wide in front of him and he was instantly caught in a gravitation well that threatened to rip his limbs from his body. A strangled yelp came from his side and he could barely see out of the corner of his optics Thundercracker being torn to shreds by the pull of the abyss. He shuttered his optics and turned away as one of his best friend's agonizing screams filled his audio receptors. He couldn't hear or see Starscream anywhere, but he knew deep down that he was already dead and that they had already witnessed tortuous demise of their friend. The wrenching pull of the abyss was steadily sucking every trace of air from his intakes and he could feel the energon being forced up through his throat and into his mouth as life was squeezed out of him._

_How had this happened? Had all of their work been in vain if this was how their lives would end? He could feel the armor on his legs being sheered away, exposing the delicate wiring underneath and crushing the vital energon lines. He gasped in pain, but the forces at work stole his breath. His optics started to crack and he could feel his body start to disintegrate around him. Why? What did they do wrong?_

His optics flared to life as Skywarp shot up from his recharge berth. He brought his weapon systems online as the panic from the vision forced his systems to draw air rapidly through his intakes. It took him a few moments to realize that he wasn't caught in the maw of that abyss but in his room on the Nemesis. He rubbed a hand over his face raggedly and got up, stowing his weapons back into subspace as he dragged himself to the door. Maybe he could swipe some of 'Screamer's energon stash and- Wait, what if Starscream wasn't here. What if he was caught back in… whatever that was.

He called to the red Seeker over their private comlink. "Hey Starscream. Where are you?"

"In the labs. Why? Is Megatron looking for me?" The ever-present snarky tone from the Air Commander reassured the black and purple Seeker that everything was normal. Or at least as normal as it could be with him not getting much recharge because of whatever those stupid vision things were that kept interrupting his rest. He teleported to Starscream's lab and moped over to the nearest chair, slumping down tiredly and leaning back to glare at the ceiling.

The Air Commander watched his friend's arrival and subsequent actions with interest. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." Skywarp snapped heatedly, "What's wrong with you?"

Starscream put the data pad he had been working on down, giving his wingmate a pointed look. "Nothing is wrong with me. _But something is wrong with you._ This is the fourth day you've been acting strangely."

The black and purple Seeker scowled and went back to glaring at the ceiling.

Not being the mech that would try to get someone to open up to him, even if they were best friends, Starscream shrugged and picked up the data pad. If it bugged Skywarp enough to say something then he might listen, but even he knew that the three of them didn't speak like that to each other. Not anymore.

Skywarp drummed his fingers on the arms of the chair. He knew Starscream was right about him acting strange. This was the fourth time that he had awoken from recharge because of whatever that was. Maybe his wingmate knew what was happening to him. "Hey 'Screamer? You ever have-"

His question was cut short as the doors to the lab swung open and Megatron stepped through. Starscream growled as he subspaced the data pad quickly and genuflected while Skywarp stumbled from where he had been spinning in the chair to his knees, thumping his right fist over his spark. They both intoned in unison, "All hail Megatron."

"I want you two glitches ready in fifty astro-seconds." The warlord sneered at them. "I have found an unknown power source and I want you, Starscream, to find out if we can use this to our advantage."

Starscream frowned at the floor. Now was not the time to go on a chase after one of Megatron's strange whims. "As you wish, Megatron. Where is this power source located?"

The Decepticon leader glared at his kneeling Second-in-Command before answering his impertinent question. "It is near a human settlement called 'Mexico City'."

--

Sky spy alerted Teletraan 1 of the Decepticons heading towards Mexico City and the artifact. As the claxons rang, Optimus Prime called for all available Autobots to meet outside the entrance to the Ark. Jetfire was one of the first to respond to the call. Why was Starscream taking the other Decepticons to the artifact? Didn't the Seekers specifically state that they wanted to keep this from Megatron? Jetfire transformed just outside the Ark and waited impatiently as the other mechs sped back to the Autobot base for the upcoming fight. The gentle scientist brought his engines online with a roar. Couldn't they see how important this was?

Optimus Prime and the others spilled into his cargo bay. Mechs were checking their weapons and pulling extra ammunition from subspace pockets. Jetfire lifted off and activated his thrusters to propel him into the stratosphere. Entering the upper atmosphere would make the trip much faster.

He started to bring his weapon systems online when Rachel slipped into his cockpit. "Rachel. This is too dangerous for you."

She ignored him and opened her wireless Teletraan 1 and typed something quickly on it. She then pulled a memory card out and held it up to the blinking light. "That has the layout of the entire area. If you can maneuver the Decepticons towards the tree line, you should be able to-."

He cut her off briskly, "Rachel. You will take immediate shelter the moment I land. You should not have come with us."

"You need me, Jetfire. Who else is going to be able to gather the rest of the information from the surrounding Pyramids? They could have valuable clues as to what-"

"Information that we could have come back for after the battle. This is too dangerous for you, Rachel." He started to descend and called back to the others that they were about to land. "I will not tell Optimus Prime about this, but I highly advise that you think carefully about the danger you put all of us in before you try another stunt like this one."

She snapped the wireless computer shut and got up out of his cockpit. Jetfire sighed; for such a smart young woman, she was terribly reckless.

--

Starscream and Skywarp flew side-by-side, no use for their trine formation without Thundercracker. The black and purple Seeker faltered slightly in their flight path causing the Air Commander to radio him over their private comlink. _"Watch where you're going. You're all over the place like a drunken Conehead!"_

"_Shove it, 'Screamer."_ Skywarp snapped back.

Now Starscream knew there was something seriously wrong with his wingmate. There was always banter between the three of them, some of it vicious when in front of the other Decepticons, but never like this. _"What is wrong with you, 'Warp? You need to be focused or else the artifact could be destroyed."_

"_That's your problem to worry about. You're the smart one."_

Starscream gave a martyred sigh. _"Do not let Megatron find out that we know what the artifact is. Do you think you can handle that?"_

"_Whatever."_

The red Seeker cursed under his breath; why did Megatron have to view everything unknown as an untapped power source?

Megatron started his descent into the lush green field that surrounded the pyramids and Starscream was about to follow him until he noticed that Skywarp was drifting off to the side and not paying attention._ "Wake up, Skywarp! We're here and we don't want to anger 'our glorious leader' by looking sloppy."_

The black and purple Seeker transformed in midair and dropped to the ground using his thrusters at the last moments to keep him from a jarring landing.

Starscream transformed as well and landed much more gracefully next to his wingmate. He glared at Skywarp who stalked heavily over to Megatron and stared at the temple. "Is this what we're here for?" At least he pretended to know nothing about the pyramid.

"Yes, it is. Starscream!" Megatron put his hands on his hips. "Can the energy of this crystal be turned into a viable form of energon?"

Without answering the warlord, the Air Commander walked over to the temple and gazed up at it. He pulled a handheld scanner from a subspace pocket and began to 'examine' the crystal. All he needed to do was convince Megatron that the artifact was useless.

After walking half way around it and up a few tiers, Starscream shook his head. "It will be of no use to create energon, Megatron."

The warlord was not satisfied and he glared at the giant crystal. "Then can I use it for a weapon?"

Starscream sighed inwardly and shook his head. But as he opened his mouth to voice his opinion the sky around the pyramids vibrated from the engines of the Veritech. Jetfire had barely touched down before Optimus Prime and the other Autobots emptied from his cargo bay. The red Seeker swore heatedly and barked at Skywarp over their radio link. _"Don't let them fire at the artifact! We need to protect it at all costs!"_

"_I know, I know!"_ Skywarp's Vulcan cannons powered up and were humming in anticipation as the three Decepticons faced down the party of Autobots.

Optimus Prime strode towards Megatron with his plasma rifle in hand. "I cannot allow you to take the crystal, Megatron."

The warlord smirked. "Oh? And just why is that? Starscream has just informed me that it is useless." He turned and glared back at the Seeker who stood on one of the middle tiers. "It must be worth something if you've wandered all this way from the Ark to protect it."

Optimus glanced between the furious Seeker and the smug Decepticon leader. So Starscream was trying to protect the crystal. "It is of great historical value to the native people. Taking it will be removing a vital part of their culture."

Starscream glowered at the Autobots still angry that they interfered yet again, but slightly thankful that Optimus Prime did not reveal what they knew about the crystal. He lifted his null ray and aimed at the string of armed Autobots; they were outnumbered, but he had to protect the artifact.

Megatron shook his head, "Do you really think I care about something important to those pathetic fleshlings?"

"I'm sure the only thing you care about is yourself, Megatron, but I still refuse to let you destroy the area for your twisted pleasure."

The fusion cannon was raised, and even though he was badly outnumbered he aimed for Optimus Prime. "Then how about I destroy _you_ for my twisted pleasure?"

The Autobots dove for cover as the first blast from the cannon tore into the soft ground and set the grassy field on fire. "Not so bold now, are we Prime?"

Jetfire stood and aimed at the warlord, opening a comlink with the other Autobots. _"We must draw his fire away from the pyramid!"_

Megatron smirked as he looked at the gentle scientist, "So the traitor thinks he is capable to stand up to me? Why even bother to lift your weapon? You couldn't even destroy Starscream."

"I refuse to create random destruction and cause the death of innocent beings." Jetfire's icy blue optics slid over to where Starscream still stood on the temple. "And I wouldn't kill someone who I still considered a _'friend'_."

Starscream sneered as he descended from the temple tiers, "Then you are as pathetic as you are weak!"

Skywarp barked over the comlink, "_I thought you said to keep them from firing on the crystal?!"_

"_We have to draw their fire away from the artifact."_ He aimed at the Veritech's chest plate. "You should go back to your laboratory and leave the fighting to real warriors, Jetfire."

The fusion cannon hummed with power and blew a crater into the earth at their feet. "Enough!" Megatron swung the cannon around and started to fire at whatever mech was nearby, leaving the ground around him a battered mix of burning grasses and soft earth.

Skywarp took position directly in front of the temple and started to fire at the feet of the Autobots. Hopefully the idiots would get the hint and draw back. The Vulcan cannons whirled and sent clods of dirt flying into the air as he peppered the ground.

Starscream snarled at Jetfire as they faced off. He spat at the Veritech between punches. "Why are you here?!"

Jetfire landed a right hook to Starscream's jaw. "I thought you were trying to keep Megatron from finding out about this!"

An uppercut sent the Veritech stumbling backwards. "I was until you and the Auto-fools showed up. I had him convinced that the crystal was worthless!"

Jetfire grabbed Starscream's left wing and easily tossed the Seeker backwards. The Air Commander activated his anti-gravs just in time to avoid hitting the ground and sliding across the field on his back. He charged in the air and aimed for the Veritech with a vicious snarl spread across his face. "Goodbye, _'friend'_."

Optimus Prime had managed to get in close to Megatron and was able to keep the warlord from firing the fusion cannon at anyone else. Punches were thrown back and forth and energon dripped from cracks and splits in each other's armor. Megatron threw a haymaker at the Autobot leader sending him sprawling backwards in the grass. The warlord smirked evilly, "If I can't use the crystal and its only worth to you is for your precious humans, then I see no reason why I can't destroy it!" Megatron whirled around quickly, the fusion cannon already hot from the battle, and fired repeatedly at the milky-white crystal. The blasts shook the area and the remaining tiers of the pyramid crumbled to dust from the quake.

Both Starscream's and Skywarp's optics went wide as the crystal vibrated and started to glow white-hot. The glow filled the area and the resonance from the crystal turned into a high-pitched hum. With the battle forgotten, both the Seekers and the Autobots watched the crystal in frozen horror. Megatron was turning back to fire at Optimus Prime when he realized the effect the crystal was having on everyone else.

The glow dimmed briefly and Jetfire yelled for everyone to take cover. Starscream quickly looked over at Skywarp who was still directly in front of the crystal. He shot forwards to grab his friend, but he was too far away. Time stopped moving for the red Seeker as he shrieked Skywarp's name.

The pulsing light from the crystal expanded and engulfed Skywarp and Starscream as it exploded, sending out a massive concussive blast that flattened the area for miles around.


	6. Chapter 6 Collateral Damage

A/N: _I stayed up all night to get this down because the need to write is driving me nuts. Luckily, I have most of the next few chapters handwritten, so it's just a matter of reading off a page and letting the auto-correct work. Forgive me if there are spelling errors. _

**Synopsis:**This chapter is mostly from Rachel's POV including her famous panic attacks. There is destruction! There is the creepy Shockwave with his weird flashing optic! There is Megatron laughing maniacally! And... drum roll please, someone nearly dies!

Once again, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews given much love and I would appreciate any feedback on whether you, my readers, like or hate the story. Thumbs up or down, I'd love to hear what you think!

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 6 - Collateral Damage**

The moment Jetfire landed I got up out of his cockpit and snuck out one of his cargo bay doors; the others were so focused on the upcoming battle that no one looked down. Yes, I realized it was dangerous and reckless to come with them, but knowing exactly what an area looks like once the Autobots and Decepticons get done fighting, I had to try and get as much information as I could from the surrounding ruins.

I ran between the smaller tiered platforms, visually scanning the tiers as I passed them. The platforms lined the Avenue of the Dead linking the Pyramid of the Moon to the Pyramid of the Feathered Serpent with the Pyramid of the Sun directly in the middle. It was the biggest building in the ruins and if I could get there before it got caught in the crossfire, I might be able to find more clues about the crystal artifact.

It was cloudy but not raining and as the fight started to heat up, I knew it would draw people. Especially the authorities. And then it dawned on me… Where were all the tourists? It was the middle of the day and this was one of the most popular places to visit in the area, yet I hadn't come across anyone running or hiding from giant alien robots. I turned another corner around the platforms and got my answer: multiple black scorch marks covered the ground and I could still detect the faint smell of ozone. I shuddered and ran past them. There was nothing I could do about that other than hope it was quick and painless death.

Megatron had started firing his cannon and the ground and platforms shook from the force of blasts that set the fields around the ruins on fire. I put my head down and ran for the pyramid. It was big enough that even if it didn't have the hieroglyphs on it, I could at least get some shelter from the blasts. At least I hoped I could.

The sky above me was streaked with lasers and missiles as I finally made it to the lea side of the pyramid. I stood there panting and looking up at the sky. The ground was now shaking as stray blasts hit the ruins, sending plumes of rock and dirt in all directions. The platform on the other side of the Avenue took a direct hit to one facet showering the nearby area with debris, but it still stood firm. I took that as a good sign; if something that was 1/10th the size of the pyramid I was hiding behind stood up to heavy weapons fire, then I should be okay. Hopefully.

I turned around and looked at the pyramid, my eyes quickly scanning the tiers for glyphs, especially any Cybertronian ones. The builders of the city had to have used the scripts on something else; the question was could I find it. I ran towards the steps for the tiers; that was where I had first seen the writing before and maybe I'd get lucky and find more. Where the steps met the ground was a lintel doorway, the frame intricately carved with birds and jaguars… And surrounded by the Cybertronian glyphs. I opened up the wireless Teletraan 1 and started to scan the stone. There was another blast, this time much closer, and I grabbed onto the frame to steady myself. The stone was so smooth it could have been finished minutes ago, but I didn't have the luxury of time to admire the craftsmanship. I did though appreciate that by grabbing onto the stone I found the glyphs traversing across the third step. I started up the steps and scanned them: third, sixth, ninth, twelfth.

There was a set of blasts and the air around me started to vibrate with an ear-splitting hum that felt it was going to shake the life right out of me. The firing had stopped, but the sky around the pyramid was now glowing a brilliant white. A chill swept down my back that even the humidity in the air couldn't warm and I jumped down the steps. Something was happening on the other side of the pyramid and it wasn't good.

And then I heard Jetfire through the bone-rattling hum yell to take cover.

I looked at the trees that were just to far away for me to run to as the white light started to pulse and the hum choked the air. There was nowhere to go. I spun around quickly looking for any thing that could remotely be used as shelter… the lintel doorway.

I ducked inside as the light expanded and burst into a blinding explosion. I threw my arms over my head and started to scream, but the vibrating air sucked away my breath as the hum leaped in decibels. Just as it felt like my head was going to explode, the force of the wave blew outwards and knocked me to the ground.

--

When he heard the Veritech traitor yell, Megatron decided it was time to make his exit. And quickly. He jumped into the air and tried to put as much distance between himself and the crystal as he possibly could. Whatever he had caused by shooting at it would serve at least some purpose: the destruction of Optimus Prime and his Autobots.

He could feel the hum from the crystal in his armor and see the light from it highlight his shoulders. Megatron tucked his head and drew his arms close to his body. If he was going to outrun the imminent explosion, then he needed to speed up and cut down on any wind resistance.

The light dimmed for a nano-second before it burst forth like a thousand super novas. He strained to get away as the blast ripped through the sky. The concussive force hit and sent him spinning, but he quickly righted himself and turned to look at the destruction he had caused. The wave was washing over the ground, liquefying the land and demolishing everything in its path including the city that he was now hovering over.

Megatron started to laugh. It was slow at first then it grew, from a low chuckle to a maniacal fuel pump wracking laugh. There was no possible way that Optimus Prime could have survived that blast. Astro-seconds passed before Megatron was able to calm down. He had won and rid the world of his archrival. The pathetic Autobot resistance would crumble and nothing would stand in his path to total domination of the universe.

As Megatron gloated over his victory he realized the two idiot Seekers were nowhere to be found. "Starscream! Where are you?"

There was no response from the Air Commander.

"Starscream, answer me!"

Still no response.

A wry grin spread across his faceplate. It looked like he got rid of two annoyances with one stone. Good riddance if the idiot Seeker got himself blown up. The warlord started to chuckle again. He had been considering replacing Starscream anyway.

--

My ears rang painfully and the dust was almost too thick to see through. Carefully, I tried to sit up only to nail my head on something hard and unforgiving. I groaned and spluttered; hitting my head made me inhale deeply and the centuries old dust clogged my lungs. I waved a hand in front of my face, trying to clear the space in front of me to see and breathe better.

I was caught inside the entrance of the pyramid; the steps descending into the ground and the lintels above had miraculously saved me from being squashed by the collapse of the pyramid. There was dusty sunlight pouring through the broken stones and just enough space for me to make sure that I was in one piece. I coughed again and strained to listen with my still ringing ears for sounds from the outside. But the only thing I could hear was the settling of the fallen stones and the occasional shower of dust.

Fear gripped my stomach in its icy cold hands: Jetfire hadn't told anyone that I had stowed away. No one but him knew I was here. If he had been hurt in the blast… I quickly shoved that thought away.

Time to get out of here and find out where the others were.

I looked carefully at my stone prison; there were good-sized gaps that I might be able to squeeze through. My wireless Teletraan 1 sat beside me under some smaller stones in the dust. I pulled it free only to find the screen shattered in an intricate spider web pattern and no energy signature flowing through it. There goes the idea to call for help. I had to do this on my own.

I pushed on the stone directly in front of me - it had a decent gap underneath that I could squeeze through. There was a brief shower of little stones and dust, but it felt solid. I slid the broken wireless through the gap and hunkered down low, slipping my right arm into the gap. Another small shower of dust and a coughing fit kept me from moving further, but once it stopped and I blinked away the dirt I continued to edge my way through. The next space was much bigger than what I had been in, but the gaps out of it were smaller. I had always wanted to be taller and bustier, but right now I was very thankful that I wasn't.

I slid the wireless again and it traveled farther this time before hitting something. That could mean more room on the other side. Gently I tested the stones, less dirt and dust and they felt solid. The gap I tried this time was slightly off to the left and in the middle of the broken stones. I would assume that it would be a hard stretch for some people, but I made it through with little difficulty. The next gap was angled oddly as the lintel had cracked in the middle and split the space into two gaps. I listened as I slid the wireless under the stones until it hit. This time it sent a dust shower that cut off visibility. Not good. I snaked my way under the broken lintel, ripping my shirt and catching my jeans on a rough corner. As long as that was the only injuries that I was going to take, I'll be a happy camper.

It felt like it took centuries to get out into the dusty sunlight, but once I was out it felt warm and welcoming. I picked up the broken wireless and had to carry it without the convenience of the strap, it had ripped when the stones had fallen. The first thing I noticed after the sunlight was that everything, minus what was left of the pyramid, had been flattened. The platforms and the once grassy fields with its verdant green tree lines were gone, as if they had been wiped clear off the earth. And through the dimming ringing of my ears, I realized how quiet it was. Eerily quiet. No noises except from the settling sound of what was left of the pyramid. Not even the call of a bird.

I walked out onto what was left of the Avenue of the Dead with the irony of the entire situation making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The blast had cleansed the area for miles leaving almost nothing in its wake. I turned around slowly. Having lived through the annihilation of Portland was scary enough, but standing where I was now was terrifyingly nightmarish.

There were still clouds of dust settling over the area and the spot where the Pyramid off the Moon had once stood was just an open void. A wisp of a breeze floated across the desolation and I thought I saw something reflect in the sunlight. I walked towards it, both dreading what I might find and hoping that it was someone who survived the blast. Another breath of wind revealed more reflections. Different colored reflections. With my heart in my throat, I ran towards the closest one. Someone had to have survived.

Without the trees to block the breeze, the gusts became bolder and started to clear the battlefield of its dusty veil. The ground was littered with metal that shone brightly in the sunlight. I ran like my life depended on it, leaping over the few remaining stones that had managed to embed themselves far enough into the ground to avoid being blown to bits. Off to my left a shining piece of red metal caught my eyes and I turned and ran towards it, hoping beyond hope that it was who I thought it was.

I skidded to a stop feet from him. Optimus Prime lay sprawled across the ground, bits of his armor torn away and his right arm at the elbow sheered off, and his rifle still clutched tightly in the hand only lay feet away from his body. I scanned his form quickly for injuries, but other then the torn armor and some minor leaks he was fine. I squinted at him, trying to see his energy signature in the light. The sun was making that difficult as it warmed his armor, but I could see his spark pulsing. He was alive.

But something was wrong; his spark pulse was the only signature coming from him.

I started to panic. He needed Ratchet and he needed him now. I had become a good medic over the past year with the Autobots, but I wasn't that good and even if I was, I had nothing available to work with. I looked around quickly; someone else had to have survived, and they could send out a call to the Ark.

Further away I saw the glitter of white on the dusty ground. Jetfire! I ran like the wind to where I saw him. If he was okay, then we could get Optimus back to Ratchet!

Jetfire was on his side at a painful looking angle, but he looked whole. I skidded into his massive arm and started to pound on him, "JETFIRE! WAKE UP! We need to get Optimus back to Ratchet!"

The Veritech didn't move.

"Nonononononononono." I ran around to his front, he had to be okay. His giant frame had minimal damage and one wing had been twisted forward. I checked for his energy signature with my mantra of disbelief thrumming in my head. Minor leaks and his spark pulse was solid, but it was also the only energy coming from him.

I turned around frantically searching the area again for anyone else. I had two mechs that were barely alive and in need of medical attention. Someone had to be awake enough to help me.

Black armor caught my eye this time and I was off again. Both Ironhide and Trailbreaker had come with the team; this had to be one or the other. But it wasn't. It was just a large piece of metal that had been so badly twisted that I couldn't tell what or who it had come from.

I spun on my toes searching again. Please please please please. Some one had to be okay.

A much larger and black form was to my left and I wondered briefly how I had missed it. I was off again and sliding into Ironhide. There was a spark pulse but nothing else, wait a second… His recovery systems spluttered to life and one cannon started to hum. His systems were rebooting.

And then it dawned on me exactly why everyone's sparks were still beating but nothing else. The wireless Teletraan 1 had been charging before we left the base, except when I tried it in the pyramid it had no charge. Part of that explosion had been an EMP blast. I tried to calculate how long I had been in the pyramid and how long it had taken me to get out and I didn't like the timeframe. Forty minutes give or take, and only now were the mechs starting to reboot? I had to do something.

I looked over the battlefield again, now clearly seeing the bodies of the Autobots as the dust finally dispersed. Sparks were working, but little else. I had to contact the Ark. They needed Ratchet here. I turned to look in the direction of Mexico City, maybe if I could get there… But the wave of destruction had swept through the city that once was visible from the Avenue of the Dead.

Power relays were slowly coming back online in Ironhide as I sat down next to him. Would everyone survive long enough for their systems to gradually reboot?

The breeze whipped up a dust devil that danced silently over the ground. I had never felt so helpless in my entire life.

--

Jazz had been too far out on patrol to make it back in time for the fight. The group had to leave quickly and could not wait for stragglers. Not that he was a straggler, but you can't be everywhere at once.

He walked through the entrance of the Ark and headed straight for the med bay; his shift was officially over and a certain beautiful young woman monopolized his free time. The doors slid open and he walked through, catching Ratchet and Wheeljack deep in discussion over the only patient in the room. "How far along are you on reworking his armature?"

Wheeljack's vocal processors flickered while he spoke. "Not very. Since the spark casing I had originally designed failed, I haven't had much time to work on anything else."

"How is the patient, doc?" Jazz walked over to the two mechs and glanced at the misshapen form on the table. "Sounds like y're designin' the six million dollar 'bot."

Optic ridges were raised in confusion and the Saboteur just shrugged "Earth TV program about rebuilin' a wounded human into a super soldier. Mildly interestin'."

The grumpy medic just shook his head. "Besides showing off your knowledge of Earth trivia is there anything you need, Jazz?"

"Jus' y're assistant." He grinned. "Not y', 'Jack. I'm lookin' for the pretty one."

Ratchet frowned, "I thought she was with you."

"I saw her last with Jetfire." Wheeljack's vocal fins flashed. "They were doing some more research on those ruins."

Jazz walked over to Teletraan 1's console and typed in his pass codes for the security cameras. "Heh, she went wit' the others." He opened a comlink to her wireless Teletraan 1, "Jazz t' Rachel, where are y' at?"

There was nothing but static.

"Jazz t' Rachel. Where are y'?"

Static.

"Jazz t' Jetfire. How goes the fight?"

Only static came over Teletraan 1's speakers.

Ratchet frowned, "Ratchet to Optimus, is everything okay? We can't contact Jetfire or Rachel."

No answer.

The grumpy medic came over to the console and accessed Sky Spy, directing it over to the ruins of Teotihuacán. The Autobot satellite couldn't penetrate the immense dust cloud that spilled over the edges of the ruins, but the fires in the flattened sections of the city and the missing trees and brush that had surrounded the area told the three all they needed to know.

Ratchet cursed, "Slag it! How are we going to get there? Jetfire went with them!"

Wheeljack's vocal processors flashed a brighter blue. "I have just the thing! Remember when the Secretary of Defense used those C-17 planes to help us? Well I've been working on one of them in my free time…"

--

The day was fading into twilight and still no one had woken up yet. Most of the Autobots systems were still rebooting, way to slow for my liking, but everyone was stable. I had fixed a few of the smaller leaks in the mechs. Without tools and the ability to move them so I could get at the damage meant I was almost useless.

I sat next to Optimus Prime watching the glow of the setting sun reflect off of his armor. At some point while doing the minor repairs, I started to talk to the offline mechs. It was an attempt to reassure them that everything was going to be okay, and sometime during that I realized that I was reassuring myself as well. And then my prattling turned silly with me recounting pranks that the Twins did and stupid jokes I had heard.

But now as I kept guard over Optimus, I was asking deep questions about how was he able to continue on in the war with the knowledge that so many of his friends and comrades have died and asking him if there was some secret to being brave. While he didn't answer me directly, I felt a little less helpless and a little more positive that everyone was going to be okay and that help would come. Someone at the Ark would realize that no one had checked in, and hopefully that would happen soon and then the cavalry would come.

I looked at the setting sun; it would be dark soon and everyone would be vulnerable. I doubted there was anything left in the area that could threaten my safety, but if the Decepticons _did_ return it would be a long run to find somewhere to hide. And it wasn't like I could do anything for the others if they came back and tried to finish the job.

In the golden red hues that colored the western skies, I could faintly make out the shape of a bird. At least something had managed to survive the blast. I watched it as it flew closer not deviating from its path and my stomach started to clench up. And then I heard the bird's 'engines'. A Decepticon was coming back to finish the job. I looked around at my fallen friends, but no one was near being able to fight let alone be awake when the Decepticon got within firing range. I looked at Optimus Prime, he would fight no matter what the odds if it meant saving a life. His rifle was just a few feet away still in the grip of his detached arm and I briefly wondered if I could use it. It was easily twice my side and most likely weighed a ton. I sighed and looked back at the black form in the sky. I had to decide quickly: either I stayed with the others or I ran for the edge of the forest now. I sincerely doubted that I could make the tree line, but Optimus' hand was big enough that I could hide inside his palm.

I got up and tried to tug on the rifle to make room. It wiggled… but only a little bit. Hidding was still a better option than trying to run away and getting spotted by infrared. I curled up in his hand under his rifle and waited for fate to happen. Luckily his hand was turned away from the others, so I wouldn't have to witness them being shot at like fish in a barrel. I shut my eyes and put my hands over my ears and then I asked Primus to be kind to his followers and give them a painless end.

--

The modified C-17 dropped altitude as it neared where the ruins had been. The blast radius was miles wide and in the light from the setting sun the bodies of the fallen Autobots shone like multi-colored gems on the dusty landscape.

"This isn't looking good, Ratchet." Wheeljack had 'upgraded' the plane to accommodate a mech pilot and shuttle grade engines that would make trips much shorter.

Jazz had his photon rifle out and peered through the cockpit at the scene below. "Can y' tell if there are any 'cons around, 'Jack?"

"Doesn't look like it, but I'm getting a lot of life signs."

"And Rachel?"

The engineer shook his head, "Still too far away to tell."

Ratchet checked over the equipment he had brought once more; he had basically converted the inside of the cargo bay into a field hospital in nano-seconds. "Can you tell how many life signs?"

"Nah, the sensor array needs a serious upgrade. Best I can tell you is that there are 'bots that are showing life signs."

The C-17 touched down and Jazz and Ratchet jumped out before the plane came to a complete stop with Ratchet barking out orders as fast as his vocalizer could process the words. "Go to the left and start checking for the seriously wounded! I want them on the plane first!"

--

The ground rumbled and I could hear a plane touch down, but it wasn't an F-15. It was something much bigger. I crawled out from underneath Optimus' hand and peeked over to where the plane was rolling to a stop. Two mechs with familiar spark pulses jumped out and over the droning of the engines I heard a very welcome grouchy medic's voice shouting orders. I got to my feet and started to run towards them, waving my arms in the air and yelling at the top of my lungs. The distance between the most welcome sight in the world and me closed quickly and I threw myself at Jazz's legs, clinging to him as tightly as I could and spouting what had happened.

"I heard Megatron's cannon and he must have shot the crystal and then there was this huge explosion and EMP wave and it wiped out everything, but everyone is alive and okay, but their systems are slowly rebooting because of the EMP, and I tried to fix what I could, there is nothing major in damage just some torn armor, but I got most of the small leaks!"

"It's okay, Rach. Y' did good." Jazz smiled and put a comforting hand around me.

I panted for breath and nodded. "I tried so hard to do what I could, but my wireless got wiped out in the blast and I couldn't contact the Art and call for help."

Ratchet was dragging the inert form of Ironhide over to the C-17 by his feet. "Everyone looks okay, but my sensors are reading a fading life sign nearby."

I looked up at Ratchet in horror. "But I got everyone stabilized."

He passed Ironhide over to Jazz as Wheeljack ran over, "If you two can load up the others, I'm going to go check on that reading."

"Y' got it, doc."

I watched as Ratchet strode over beyond where I had worked on Jetfire to the black pieces of twisted metal. I did quick head count. I couldn't have missed someone. I wrapped my arms around me and shivered with dread that while I sat nearby someone on the field was dying.

--

Ratchet stepped through the wreckage of shredded metal and leaned over the mech that was struggling for life. The damage was so bad that he didn't recognize who it was. His once glossy armor was a charred mess. It could have been black at one point, but he had Ironhide accounted for and this mech was much taller and thinner than Trailbreaker. Ratchet carefully dug through a mass of wires that was supposed to be inside the mech and activated the stasis lock. The mech was in such bad shape; it was a miracle that he was still alive after all this time. He gently turned the mech over on his side to get a better look at him… and started swearing like he never had before.

The cracked faceplate and dim red optics that stared up at nothing gave away exactly who and what he was and Ratchet was furious that Megatron would leave one of his men out here to die like this. He gathered up what he could of the broken mech in his arms and made his way back to the plane. He would have some serious explaining to do later, but he would be slagged if he left a wounded mech to die… even if he was a Decepticon.

--

He buzzed by the Space Bridge once before transforming and touching down near the ragged guard. Weary red optics looked up at him before he stood up straight and saluted, "All hail Megatron."

Thundercracker saluted him back and the young guard's demeanor brightened. The Seeker looked the guard over; he had scorch marks across his armor and one of his rotors was bent at an unpleasant looking angle. "You look like slag. What happened?"

The young guard shuffled his feet and looked at the ground unsure of what he should say. Would the Seeker believe him if he said he had been shot by another Decepticon? Best to lie about it and hope he wouldn't see him as weak for letting his guard down. "I- I didn't have enough to pay for repairs…"

Thundercracker nodded. "Heh, tell me about it. Even if I don't get fragged in a fight I end up paying for the other's repairs." The guard's head snapped up and he nodded. He was actually talking with a Seeker and not being ignored!

"Designation and function."

With his head held high and a smile pulling at his lips the young guard promptly answered. "Cyclonus. Aerial warrior, sir!"

The dark blue Seeker nodded again, "What's your alternate mode?"

"The AH-64 Apache helicopter, sir!"

"Protoform?"

The guard's face fell along with his optimism. "Flier."

"What _kind_ of flier?"

"…civilian transport."

Thundercracker nodded; a flier was a flier in his eyes. Cyclonus may not be happy with his previous life, but being gifted with the ability for flight was what mattered the most. "When is your guard shift over?"

"I am to remain here until further orders from Lord Megatron, sir."

The Seeker's optic ridges rose, "You're telling me you've been out here for three deca-cycles?"

"No, sir." He guard shook his head. "I've been at my post for one Earth stellar-cycle."

Thundercracker sighed. "When I get back I'll get someone to replace your post so you can get some repairs done."

"But, sir. I don't-"

"Don't worry about it. I'll be returning with new medics and I'll have one of them repair you. Free of any charges." The Seeker smirked. "And quit with the sir. Fliers are on even terms, unless you're a dirty Conehead."

"Yes, sir. Uh, sorry. What about the Constructicons?"

Thundercracker started to enter his pass codes to activate the Space Bridge. "Dead. Slagged by the Autobots." The doors slid open and he stepped inside. "I'll be back in a few solar-cycles. Oh, here. Take this." He pulled an energon cube from his subspace and tossed it to Cyclonus who looked at it dumbly. The dark blue Seeker shook his head as the doors closed and the cyclotronic generators spun to life and sent him on the first part of his mission back to Cybertron. Megatron could find another guard for the Space Bridge; he had enough groundpounders still hanging around Nemesis that would be better suited for it.

It took Cyclonus a few astro-seconds to understand all that had just taken place. He had _talked_ to a Seeker, who didn't treat him like a pile of slag, who was going to get a medic to repair his broken rotors and had _just given him an energon cube from his own stash!_

He looked at the closed door of the Space Bridge in awe and then wondered if he should have told the Seeker about the Constructicon that came back with supplies from Cybertron a few days prior.

--

The blue hued walls of the Decepticon home base made Thundercracker smile and he took a deep breath. The crisp and clear air of Cybertron flowed through his intakes and his whole body felt at ease. All the dust and dirt and who knows what else of Earth's atmosphere that had been clogging his systems would be filtered out. He stepped out of the Space Bridge and saluted Shockwave, "All hail Megatron."

The dark purple Guardian paused before hailing the Seeker back, "All hail Megatron. Is the communications system of the Nemesis still malfunctioning?"

Thundercracker looked at the golden optic of the Guardian and frowned as he pulled the data pads from his subspace and held them out, "Communications aren't malfunctioning."

Shockwave took the data pads and accessed the list of items and requests, "The supplies I procured for Lord Megatron four solar-cycles ago was not sufficient?"

"What supplies for Megatron? He's only being brought back online now by Starscream."

"I do not understand, Seeker." Shockwave looked over the other data pad concerning the need for a new medical team and a gestalt. "Why does Lord Megatron need new medics? Did he execute Hook for his incompetence?"

"Execute Hook? That traitor and the other Constructicons were taken offline permanently two deca-cycles ago."

"That is impossible. The engineer and Soundwave were here gathering supplies to repair the Nemesis four solar-cycles ago."

Thundercracker gave Shockwave a bland look. "Being up here alone has made your memory glitch."

"My memory is fine, Seeker." The dark purple mech turned towards his monitors and accessed the video feed. "See for yourself."

Thundercracker stepped to the console and watched as the security camera replayed the visit of Soundwave and Hook. "What the slag…?"

"_All hail Megatron. Repairs to the Nemesis are incomplete. Communications were damaged in Autobot attack."_

Soundwave subspaced a set of data pads and held them out to Shockwave. _"Megatron has ordered supplies to be sent to Earth for repairs."_

Shockwave took the data pads and read over them. _"I can procure the majority of the materials in 700 astro-seconds."_ He looked up at the engineer. _"The rest will take slightly longer."_

Without asking the Guardian's permission, Thundercracker sent a transmission to earth. "All hail Megatron. Cybertron calling Nemesis. Respond."

The transmission opened and there stood Megatron at the console, who promptly ignored Thundercracker. "Hail Shockwave, Guardian of Cybertron."

"Hail Megatron, Leader of the Decepticons. I have received your soldier and your requests, but I am confused as to why you have sent two requests. Were the supplies I sent not sufficient?"

Megatron looked between Shockwave and Thundercracker. "I have only sent the Seeker with requisitions."

"And Soundwave?"

Megatron sneered. "He allowed himself to be destroyed by mindless drones."

At this, the dark purple mech paused. "Soundwave and Hook were here four solar-cycles ago with requisitions to bring supplies to repair Nemesis. I had the materials gathered and sent back through the Space Bridge with them."

"Impossible. That traitor Hook and his incompetent Constructicons were taken offline permanently by the Autobots."

"Allow me to send the security footage to you, Lord Megatron."

Megatron glowered, "No, Shockwave. I believe you. Have the supplies and crews gathered to be sent to Earth." He turned his glare to Thundercracker. "And you, Seeker. You will journey to the Fighting Academy and bring me every warrior that can fight and not run away like cowards."

Thundercracker thumped his cockpit with his right hand and bowed his head. "Yes, Mighty Megatron."

"Good, report back to me in 7000 astro-seconds."

The monitor went black and Shockwave turned to Thundercracker, his one golden optics flashing in unmasked glee. "You have your orders, Seeker. Return promptly with them and I will have the needed supplies ready for your trip back to Earth."

Thundercracker frowned, but saluted the dark purple mech, "All hail Megatron."

--

It had been a few days after the incident at the ruins and everyone was healing up nicely. Most of the wounds were superficial and only needed minimal work, which meant that the med bay was empty except for the current patient and the unexpected new one. There had been heated words and arguments over Ratchet bringing him back to base, including a showdown with Optimus ending with Ratchet saying they would be no different than the Decepticons if they had left him to die. Except that the mech would probably die from the injuries he sustained anyway no matter what Ratchet did to try and repair him.

I sat inside Ratchet's office with the medic and Jetfire talking as I rebuilt the wireless Teletraan 1 and reconstructed the hard drive that had been damaged in the EMP wave. Jetfire had pulled me aside after he had awoken and he apologized for being terse with me. I just hung my head and said he was right, that I had acted rashly and put the others in danger. His response to me was that 'we live and learn'.

I was restringing data files from the wireless' hard drive on Teletraan 1's mainframe and slowly reintegrating them on a new drive. "The lintel and doorframe were covered in glyphs surrounded by birds and jaguars. It was really amazing work." I sighed at the loss of something important and beautiful. "Hopefully, I can salvage the images I took of them."

The gentle scientist smiled, "I hope so too. I wish we had inspected the other pyramids earlier."

Ratchet grumbled as he cleaned tools from the recent repair sessions. "Still seems odd to me that someone from Cybertron made it here and never reported their findings of life. There was medical knowledge from every race Cybertronians had ever encountered in the Medical Archives, but not one sentence about humans and Earth."

A noise in the med bay made all three of us stop and look at the door. Ratchet stood up, opened the office door and peered at his two patients. There was the sound of someone shifting on a table and Ratchet walked out of the office.

"He's awake."

--

The orange titanium ceiling was the first thing he noticed when he came back online. The second was that he was restrained on a flat surface and he could not access his weaponry. He tried to struggle against his bonds, but the noise from his movements only attracted the attention of his captors.

A door from across the room opened and a gruff sounding voice filled his fuel pump with dread. "He's awake."

_Oh slag me_. Out of all the places he could have ended up...

A white and red mech appeared to his right and he could feel a slight tug on whatever cables the medic had attached to his head and neck.

"If you can hear me, nod."

_What did he mean if he could hear the Autobot? Of course he could. And what's with the nodding part?_ He opened his mouth to tell just where the grouchy medic to shove his nod, but no sound came out.

_What the slag?_ He tried to run a quick diagnostic of his systems and found most were offline. His optics widened in surprise and he gave a frantic look to the medic.

"Well I guess you can hear me just from the look on your face."

"Is he really awake, Ratchet?" A familiar female voice also came from across the room.

"Yeah, and he's somewhat responsive." Ratchet. That was the name of the grouchy medic.

There was a sound of light footsteps running up something metallic and then the femme appeared to the left of his vision. "How are you feeling, Skywarp?"

_How was he feeling? What kind of stupid question was that? He was obviously a prisoner of the Autobots and they had done something to him._

Ratchet looked over at a monitor that he could barely see out of the corner of his optics. "Most of your systems are still offline. Your internal repair and recovery systems still have a long way to go before I can do anything about the rest of your injuries." Ratchet just shook his head. "Primus must like you a lot, kid. You're lucky you're still functioning."

His optics widened again and Rachel glared at Ratchet. "Nice bedside manner, Ratchet. Decepticon or not, you're going to freak him out saying things like that."

"Pfft. It's true. If we hadn't gotten to him when we did, he would have been just another bleeding piece of scrap on the ground."

She looked back at him and put a reassuring hand on his arm. "Do you remember anything that happened, Skywarp? Just flash your optics once for yes and twice for no."

_Did he remember what? He remembered leaving Nemesis with 'Screamer for a raid... Holy slag!_ His optics flashed twice rapidly. _How was he going to ask where 'Screamer was with frakking 'yes' or 'no' flashing?_

Something beeped from the monitor to his right that had gotten attention of the medic. "Hmmm. Something just sent a spike of energy through his systems."

_No slaggin' kidding, genius! Where's Starscream?_

Rachel patted his chest and got his attention. "You're not a prisoner, Skywarp, is that what you're worried about?"

Flash twice. _That's it! Come on, femme. Keep asking me questions. You're the bright one in the whole Autobot outfit._

"No? Okay. Is it about your injuries?"

Flash twice. _Come on._

She squinted at him. "The battle? Megatron?"

Flash twice.

Her eyes widened and she pointed at him, "Starscream!"

Flash! _I knew you'd get it, femme!_

She looked at Ratchet then shook her head. "We don't know. He wasn't found at the temple after the explosion, so he might have gotten away."

_Explosion? What explosion?_

He guessed the look on his face told her more than just the stupid optic flashing. And was that pity in her eyes? He didn't need her slaggin' pity. "You really don't remember, do you?"

--

Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


	7. Chapter 7 Alone

A/N: _I hope I didn't keep everyone waiting too long. It's a big chapter and it took a few rewrites to get everything set up for the next few chapters. I tried to develop a handful of the main players and play into some of their fears about being alone, it will make sense as the story progresses. I promise. I had wanted to get this done for Christmas because it coincided with something really cool that happened on Christmas Eve this year. I'm not talking about Santa or Jesus, but there is a few mentions of it in here. And it was really cool to see._

_I have always been a firm believer that there is a deeper relationship between Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker...not a slashy one and not because all three are fliers or Decepticons. In the universe where my stories take place, they've been best friends since they were sparklings. I'd go on about this, but I'd be giving away parts of the story that I don't want to, yet. I am going to draw on the odd relationship set up in my first story 'Thrown to the Front Lines' between Rachel and Skywarp. (In case you are new to the story or just forgot, when Rachel was kidnapped by the Seekers she was stuck with Starscream and takes an instant dislike to him, insulting him a few times before finally telling him to 'shove it up his afterburner' and throwing up inside his cockpit 'emptying her fuel tank'. Skywarp finds this hilarious and proceeds to repeat the 'shove it up your after burner' bit over and over, and he is now relegated to carting her around the Decepticon base. She's made to believe that Jazz is dead and she begs Skywarp to kill her, which he refuses to do, but he does promise that if she behaves for him, he'll take good care of her -I mention this joke in here- and in the end, she saves his life twice.) I had not planned for anything to come from that interaction, but when I got the idea for 'Countdown' it opened up some interesting options._

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed with open arms, reviews given much love and let me know if you like what you're reading. It's hard to learn from mistakes if you don't realize you're making them.

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 7 – Alone**

Thundercracker strolled out of the Decepticon headquarters purposefully, only opening the Seeker's private comlink the instant he was outside and clear of Shockwave. "Hey, 'Screamer? You're not going to like this, but Soundwave is still functioning."

He received no response and frowned. "Hey, 'Screamer? Are you there?"

There was still no answer and the dark blue Seeker groaned, Megatron had probably taken out his aggressions on the Air Commander the moment he found out about Soundwave. "'Warp? Are you with Starscream?"

There was no answer and Thundercracker cursed. Either they were currently in a fight or Megatron had used them as punching bags and the Seeker was hoping it was the former. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it right now; he had his orders and a timeframe in which he had to get everything completed. But he was going to run a personal errand first. He could go it alone for a while.

From the main gates to the headquarters, he looked out over Iacon letting the sights and sounds of his home world wash over him. He could feel the dirt from Earth finally cycle out of his intakes and he shuttered his optics. The tension from being cooped up on the Nemesis while stuck on the backwater planet melted away. _He was home_.

There was the low thrum of familiar engines and his optics snapped open, instantly drawn to the sky above him - the flier patrols were just starting their nighttime sweeps. He watched them as they gracefully circled around the Decepticon base and headed back across the city. Primus, he loved to watch the flier patrols at night when he was a youngling. For as long as he could remember he wanted nothing more in life than to fly, to be able to glide along the midnight blue skies and dance freely among the stars. The dark blue Seeker smiled as the patrol swung back around towards him. Even if he wasn't going to have much time on Cybertron he was going to enjoy a few small pleasures. He scanned the first flier that arced through the sky above him, letting his body take on the original flier form that he was given. The bulky alternate form of the Earth jet melted like quicksilver off his body, transforming his wings into the longer, sleeker shape that would allow him to slice through the atmosphere with little wind resistance. He admired his wings briefly with a spreading grin. Slag trying to blend in on Earth, he wasn't going to change back into that primitive excuse for a flier that he had been forced to take.

Now that he felt more at ease, Thundercracker leapt into the air and transformed, smiling inwardly as his body folded _properly_ into the perfect form of the elite Cybertronian flier. Once in the clear skies that shook out the final clogs of Earth's foul and dusty air, he soared over to Iacon's East side circling overhead and frowned. So much of the city was still in disrepair. It seemed like time stood still for Iacon, keeping it in the same state it had been since the last time he had been there. There was so much destruction in the area that he almost missed the building he was searching for. He transformed and glided down to the grim obsidian colored building. He looked at the entrance momentarily before straightening his shoulders and pushing the wide double doors open.

It would have been pitch black on the inside if it weren't for the numerous braziers that held the small flames that would burn for eternity. Thundercracker moved reverently through the aisles, passing silently by monuments draped by dusty tri-colored flag of Iacon. This was the final resting place of many who had died in the war. The small glowing bowls, holopictures and cubes of stale energon were lovingly placed next to the names of those who occupied the grottos.

Towards the back of the sepulcher, the dark blue Seeker stopped and watched the shifting holopictures that were silhouetted by the gentle flicker from the braziers eternal flame. The first picture was of a dark blue flier that pierced the sky with its sleek form, deftly executing aerial maneuvers at the speed of sound before taking up the leading position in a tight diamond formation. The next picture was the sleek flier transforming gracefully and landing on a raised platform with important looking mechs smiling and eager to shake the flier's hand. She vigorously shook each offered to her, finally standing tall and proud as a highly decorated military flier approached. The military flier placed an ultramarine blue sash that was covered in metals over her right shoulder and handed her the tri-colored flag of Iacon before saluting her sharply. The next picture was of the flier stroking the cheek of a sleeping blue sparkling that was cradled in her arms. She looked up and smiled proudly, shifting the sparkling gently to show him off for the picture. The next picture was of the flier laughing as she attempted to hold on to two over exuberant younglings, one dark blue and the other black and purple, as they tried to jump into the air.

Next to the holopictures sat an elaborately carved crystal flower that caught the light from the brazier and sent silvery sparkles across the memorial. Thundercracker subspaced two energon cubes and set them carefully beside the crystal before taking a seat on the ground next to memorial. Astro-seconds passed and the silence pressed down on his audio receptors. He laced his fingers together and looked at the floor in front of him, "I know it's been awhile since I was last here to visit you…"

--

_The shining blue city of Iacon spread out below him. A rebuilt Iacon, and by the looks of the landscape, he must have been close to the Academy. The moons were new and the lunar outposts sparkled like diamonds on the dark satellites. With a loud whoop, he shot forwards and barrel rolled through the clear night sky. _

"_What do you think you're doing, 'Warp?" Starscream's voice came over the comlink a nano-second before the red and dark blue Seekers appeared. For once in a long time, Starscream did not sound his usual snarky self._

"_Enjoying life, glitch mice." He couldn't hide his inward mischievous grin. "How about we stop for a drink? I know a place near the Academy that serves the best high-grade. 'Screamer's treat!"_

"_My treat? Why don't you pay for once?" The red Seeker sounded mildly perturbed._

"_Because you've got the cushy job and you get paid more than we- hey, do you see that?" He stopped in midair and transformed, pointing out the odd sight that was spreading across the midnight skies._

_Starscream and Thundercracker stopped as well. The red Seeker frowned and put his hands on his hips, "That's funny… There isn't supposed to be major planetary conjunction for another 250 vorns."_

_The three hovered side by side and watched as the planets lit by Cybertron's blue star moved into position for the conjunction that had not been predicted. As the last planet slipped into perfect alignment, the light from Cybertron's blue sun began to pulse and threw an arcing solar flare across the star system. The air that surrounded the Seekers heated quickly and smelled of burning ozone as the solar winds punctured the layers of atmosphere that surrounded the planet. The blue sun started to spin furiously ejecting its stellar matter from both of its magnetic poles in blinding flashes of pulsing light. An immense black object appeared above the doomed sun, drawing in the solar flares as it sucked away its outer layers. Within minutes the dying blue star was dark, its core now cold and empty, leaving just the misshapen metal remnants from its final fusion burn behind. The object was as black as the Pit and the three horrified Seekers stared helplessly into its giant maw as the gravitational well caught them._

_He could hear metal being ripped, and the agonized shrieks of Starscream and Thundercracker filled his audio receptors. The sounds of popping wires and metal being crushed continued long after their screams had stopped. Unanswered questions about how this had happened seared his processors: they were supposed to do something to stop all of this…_

_He could feel the armor on his legs being sheered away, exposing the delicate wiring underneath and crushing the vital energon lines. He gasped in pain, but the forces at work stole his breath and forced energon up from his systems and into his mouth. His optics started to crack and he could feel his body start to disintegrate around him. Why? What did they do wrong?_

Skywarp's optics flared to life and he tried to bring his weapon systems online, the panic from the vision forcing his systems to draw air rapidly through his intakes. The orange walls of the infirmary around him gave him a quick reality check, and he was almost grateful that he was with the Autobots and not in that abyss. He relaxed on the table letting his head fall back with a dull thud with a small sigh of relief.

Her light footsteps could be heard running up the small ramp that allowed her access to the table and Rachel appeared to his left. "Are you okay, Skywarp? You nearly jumped off the table."

He looked at the young woman and the concern in her face before snorting and turning away. "I'm fine."

She didn't move and he could feel her gaze. He turned back to glare at her in annoyance. "What?"

"I'm checking your systems."

He raised an optic ridge at her. "Without the monitor?"

She smirked at him. "You'd be surprised." She kept looking at him, as if she was looking _through_ him. "Your air intakes are drawing in sixty percent more than they should be at rest and your fuel pump has increased the flow of energon to your system dramatically." She pulled out a data pad and started to take notes. "Did you have a panic attack from being enclosed for so long?"

"Pfft. No." He looked up at the ceiling. "I'm not like 'Screamer or TC who get that claustrophobic slag."

She patted his arm, "Did you have a bad dream?"

"A what?"

"A bad dream. You know, a nightmare."

He had no idea what a 'nightmare' was, but it sounded like something a weak Autobot would have. "No."

"Then what upset you?" She crossed her arms over her chest, her gaze now on his face.

He glared at the ceiling. "Nothing."

"You're lying."

He snorted. "Whatever."

She sighed and moved over to the monitors. "Fine, if you don't want to talk about it."

--

I opened the med bay doors with my morning cup of coffee in hand to find them leaning on a nearby table and glowering at Ratchet and the unconscious Seeker. Identical azure optics, narrow with barely hidden ire radiating from the pair. Shutting the door softly, I crept quietly across the floor and set my coffee on my desk, watching the strange and unusual interaction. The entire scene was eerie with the Twins being deadly silent and Ratchet not throwing whatever wasn't welded down at them.

Ratchet was muttering to himself as he replaced some of the seriously damaged energon lines in the mech's legs. Even with Skywarp being stable and in deep stasis there was an ever-growing puddle of energon and oil surrounding the table. The gentle medic suddenly swore and started to rummage around in his subspace. Not finding what he needed, he started towards the med bay shelves and then spotted me standing there quietly. "When did you arrive? Never mind. I need your hands to help me thread some of these lines."

I headed up the small ramp that had been created so I could gain easy access to the tops of the tables and stood ready for Ratchet to return with a spool of the finest energon line I had ever seen. In all my work on the Autobots, I had never seen any lines this thin - it was barely wider than my hand and it felt almost too delicate to be used in a warrior's body. I looked up at Ratchet as he handed me about twenty feet of the line, "Where does this go?"

"You see this here?" He outlined a gray clump of wires that ran down one of Skywarp's legs.

"The lumpy wires?"

It sounded like Ratchet snorted, "That's not wiring. It's melted lines that bubbled in the heat and were clogged with soot and ash. I need you to carefully lace the new line along the melted one."

Nodding, I looped the line around my arm to make it easier to thread while Ratchet started to work on some of the larger lines in the Seeker's other leg. The line felt dusty and I couldn't help but be curious as to why I hadn't seen it being used in Autobot anatomy.

The medic groused, "Because it isn't. He doesn't have standard flier anatomy and Wheeljack and I haven't found anything on Seeker builds in Teletraan 1's databases."

"This line seems too delicate to be useful in a fighter, don't you think?" I threaded the line along a newly replaced knee joint, shuddering when the damaged line turned into flaky ash when I bumped it.

"It's got to be dainty because he isn't much of a fighter." The red warrior behind us growled.

"He isn't much of anything, not even spare parts." The golden warrior agreed. "Why are you wasting your time repairing him, Ratchet? We'll just frag him in the next battle."

The grouchy medic turned and scowled at his self-appointed and unwanted bodyguards. "We may be in a war but we'd be no better than the Decepticons if we don't help him." Ratchet motioned to Skywarp's inert form with his head. "Megatron left him behind to die, he threw him away. Decepticon or not, I'll be slagged if I just let a mech in need die." He motioned with an energon and oil covered hand for the Twins to leave, splattering them and the area around with the vital fluids. "Now get out. Go bug Prowl or something. I don't want to see you back in here again."

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker stood their ground and glared back at Ratchet.

"Not while he's here."

Ratchet stomped through the puddles of energon and roughly grabbed the pair by a shoulder, forcibly herding them towards the doors. "Maybe I didn't make myself clear enough for you two slaggin' idiots. GET OUT."

After a few interesting curses in Cybertronian about their creator's lineage, Ratchet had gotten the Twins to out of the med bay and locked the doors behind them. I quickly turned back to my work as Ratchet tramped back across the room and frowned at the amount of energon on the floor. He adjusted the fluid drip that was replenishing the Seeker with energon and picked up another clamp and more of the larger lines. "Now, where were we…"

--

He groaned as he came out of recharge. That Pit-infernal noise that the femme called music was playing again and he could hear her humming along to it as she worked. "You're trying to torture me with this slag playing all the time, aren't you?"

"Not quite. I'm testing a hypothesis that if we subject you to enough happy stimulus that you'll give up your evil ways and become an Autobot." She laughed evilly. "I call it 'The Smiling Seeker Project'."

He groaned again and wished he could shut off his audio receptors. "I'd rather if you'd just send me into permanent stasis."

He could hear her climb the small set of stairs that led to his table. "Now what fun would there be in that?" She started to check the cables and sensors that were hooked up to him. He flinched as her voice took on that annoying singsong tone. "So how is the patient today?"

He gave a martyred sigh. "You ask that stupid question every slaggin' day. How do you think I am? I'm stuck in the Autobot base with all that slag sticking out of me," He motioned toward the monitor. "I can't access most of my systems and I have no idea how 'Screamer and TC are."

She smirked at him. "I would have thought being away Starscream would be a vacation."

He just snorted. "Better to be around him than all these slaggin' Autobots."

She gave him a kick in the side that actually hurt. "Hey!"

She wrote something down on the data pad. "Good to see you're pain receptors are starting to come back online. Now shall I just leave them on, or shall I be nice to the giant snarky robot and turn them off before he realizes just how lucky he is that the 'slagging Autobots' found him and are helping him recover?"

"Whatever."

"Good."

She pressed a few buttons on the monitor and then wrote the results on the data pad; he watched her intently. "What are you doing, femme?"

She didn't even look at him as she punched a few more buttons. "Checking to see how much work it would take to give you an attitude adjustment."

He snorted. "Aren't we witty today?"

At that she looked up and smiled at him. "If you're a good little Seeker, maybe Optimus will let me keep you as a pet."

"Oh, ha ha ha." He dropped his head back on the table and sighed. "So how long until they work out the prisoner transfer?"

"Prisoner transfer?" She had gone back to writing on the data pad.

He huffed sarcastically, "Yeah, a prisoner transfer. You know, where Megatron gives a prisoner to the Autobots and I get sent back to the Decepticons."

She gave him a very serious look. "No one has contacted the Autobots as far as I know."

"Did they try to contact the Decepticons?"

She went back to writing on the data pad. "I'm sure they tried. And you're not a prisoner - you're a patient here. As for a prisoner exchange, everyone is accounted for here."

He turned to look at her and glared. "Patient my aft. Your precious Autoslags are holding on to me so they can get information from me. Well that ain't going to happen. Pfft. They probably didn't even try to contact Starscream, femme."

She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Oh, is that so? Then why are we trying to get your sorry carcass back in working order? Why did we bother to help you after the explosion? Why am I wasting my time trying to help your sorry, pathetic, whiney self then? Hmmm, mister smarty aft?"

He lifted himself up on one elbow to look at her, the cables attaching him to the monitor pulling the console closer to the exam table. "And why don't I just squish you now and shoot that device that keeps playing that Pit-infernal slag you call music?"

She didn't flinch or even back down, meeting his optics with a cool glare. "Because you would have done it long before now if you really wanted to. And..." She took her hands off her hips and tried to push the monitor back into place. "You'd be lucky to get up off the table without passing out cold."

"Heh, you really think a little pain would deter me?"

She looked seriously at him. "Are you just acting like the tough guy because you're really freaked out, or do you not get just how badly damaged you are, Skywarp?"

"I'm not freaked out." He forced himself up into a sitting position and got a good look at his legs. Most of his glossy black and purple armor was gone, stripped down to a mangled mass of wires and metal, and he was missing most of his right leg below his knee. He quickly checked over the rest of his body. His arms were whole but lacerated, and his body was mangled with large gaping holes that revealed parts of his internal workings that he never wanted to see. He ran his fingers around the side with the wires that attached him to the monitors; it hadn't been destroyed but opened to give access to his internal systems. He felt up his neck, which was whole, and his head felt like it was in one piece. He smirked wryly; Starscream would have had some smart-aft comment for that. His shoulders were damaged and one intake was crushed, but the other was whole and working. His hands continued back to his wings... or where his wings should have been.

He turned his head around quickly, first to his left then to his right. His wings... _weren't there_. "What the slag?" He looked down at the femme. "WHAT DID YOU SLAGGIN' DO TO ME?!" He grabbed her roughly off the table and brought her up close to his snarling face. "WHAT DID YOU AND THAT SLAGGIN' BUTCHER DO TO MY WINGS?! YOU HAVE ONE NANO-SECOND TO ANSWER BEFORE I SQUISH YOU INTO PASTE!"

She squirmed in his grasp trying to get her arms free, but he only increased his grip. "WELL?!"

"Look right..." She said breathlessly. "Second table over."

He glared at her then turned to look. It took a moment before it registered that his wings were lying on the exam table. Or what was left of his wings. "What the slag..." His grip loosened on her and she gasped for breath.

"Ratchet was able to find them, but they were so damaged." She coughed.

He turned to look at her, shock spreading across his face.

She coughed again and he opened his hand letting her sit in his palm while she gasped for air. "They had been torn completely off."

"Torn off...?"

She nodded quickly. "Your back caught the explosion. Most of your body armor was ripped off your back and it shredded your wings. Ratchet had to seal up parts of your back with spare metal to keep some of your systems inside your body."

He let her slip off his hand and he sunk back to the table, his head dropping back with a dull thud. She stood up on shaky legs and came over to his head. "Skywarp?"

He turned to look at her, cold fear filling his spark. His wings were gone. Gone. He was _grounded_.

She put a trembling hand on his shoulder. "We're going to rebuild them, but there doesn't seem to be any information on Seeker physiology in Teletraan 1's or the Science Academy's database. Wheeljack thinks he can reverse engineer them from the pieces we brought back."

He just stared at her.

"Skywarp?"

The monitors next to them started to beep frantically. She looked the screens and then back to him, her eyes widening in panic. "Aw crap. Stay with me, Skywarp. Focus on my voice, please."

He barely heard her scream for Ratchet as reality started to swim and he passed out.

--

Jazz glared at the immobile black and purple figure on the far table. He had heard about the incident between Rachel and the Seeker over his wings and he had been in forced recharge ever since.

"I don't like y' spendin' so much time in here wit' him, Rach."

I looked up at Jazz. "He's a patient here and needs someone to monitor him, and other than him finding out about his wings, he's been relatively good. Mouthy and snarky, but good."

"I jus'... I'm worried about y'. He's dangerous."

"His weapon systems are offline and he can barely move. Even if he tried to get off the table, I'd hear him far in advance before he could even attempt to hurt me or anyone else."

"That's not what I mean, Rachel." Jazz crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll talk t' Ratchet and have him give y' another job while he's still here."

I just looked at him confused. "Ratchet needs me to watch over 'Warp while he's busy with constructing an armature for-"

"He can let y' work on the armature then."

I put my hands on my hips and leveled my gaze at Jazz. "And just how am I supposed to build an armature and body armor that's ten times my size? I can't even pick up the smaller pieces."

"Then y'll have t' go work wit' 'Jack."

"But 'Jack has been working in here, too… He's monitoring the new spark chamber and trying to reverse engineer 'Warp's wings. They need me to watch him."

He pursed his lips. "I jus' don' like him near y'. Y're too friendly wit' him, Rachel. He's a Decepticon and a killer. He doesn't deserve y' or anyone else bein' friendly wit' him."

I blinked. "What's wrong with being friendly with him? He's lonely here and no one talks to him or interacts with him other than give dirty looks. He's stuck in the med bay alone, and we're lucky he hasn't freaked out about being grounded _and _being stuck inside for this long. We don't need him panicking. And since he can't to communicate with the outside, he doesn't even know if his wingmates are still alive and that's really bothering him."

"See what I mean? Y're too friendly wit' him." Jazz turned back to glare at the sleeping Seeker. "Y're spendin' t' much time in here wit' him."

I frowned, "You're jealous of me spending time with 'Warp?"

"I am not jealous." Jazz frowned back at me defensively. "And why do y' keep callin' him that? Y' sound like y've been friends for eons."

I was taken aback by this. "You really are jealous."

"No, I'm not."

"Then what is all this about?" I held my hands out emphatically. "You didn't act this way when Cliffjumper was in here and he was even more dangerous."

He glared at me. "It's not the same thing, Rach. And I'm not jealous."

I sighed at his glare. I still didn't see what was wrong with me taking care of the fallen Seeker and I wanted this silly argument to end. "He's a patient in here, Jazz. Ratchet and Wheeljack are busy and someone has to watch over him, and that happens to be me."

His glare deepened. "Y're too friendly towards him, Rach."

I didn't understand why he was being irrational. "So what if I'm friendly with 'Warp?"

"Will y' stop callin' him that?"

I sighed again. "Fine. So what if I'm friendly with _Skywarp?_ Is that better?"

"No. I don't want y' t' spend so much time in here wit' him."

This whole situation was getting out of hand. "Jazz. I _work_ in here. I'm not spending any more time than Ratchet needs me to be in here. Why are you acting like you're jealous?"

"I'm not jealous. Y' just don't understand what he is, Rachel." The singsong quality of his voice disappeared completely.

I crossed my arms over my chest, "Yes, I do understand what he is. He's a Decepticon. He's been your enemy for millions of years and now you're acting as irrational as the Twins are about why we're helping him."

"He's a murderer and he's killed a lot of Autobots, some of them were my good friends."

"And you haven't killed anyone?"

"That's different."

"No, it's not, Jazz. You're both in a war and on opposite sides. People die in wars."

He raised his voice at me. "Slag it! That's not the point here, Rachel." I stepped back at his swearing.

"Then what is the point? Why are you acting like this, Jazz? I don't understand why you're so upset about me being friendly with Skywarp. Would you rather I be mean to him?" I tried to keep my voice level. "I'm just trying to do my job. I'm not around him more than I would be anyone else and he's in recharge when we work on him. It's not like we're sitting here chatting all day to each other. And I don't spend extra time in here unless Ratchet asks me to stay, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not jealous, Rachel. There is a lot t' worry about wit' him here and y're not takin' this seriously!" He angrily pivoted and stormed out of the med bay leaving me standing there stunned and confused.

I just stared at the door, trying to digest all that had just occurred. I turned and walked back to my desk slowly, a million thoughts running through my brain at the speed of light. The conversation had started out somewhat innocently, but from there to now... I sat down heavily, leaning my elbows on the desktop and staring at the door again. If he wasn't jealous, then why was he acting like this? He had never voiced any concerns about me spending time around the other mechs or staying late in the med bay before. Ratchet had disarmed Skywarp before he was brought into the Ark, so I wasn't in danger from his weapons. If there had been any time that I was in danger in the med bay, it was when Cliffjumper was in here. As for being friendly, I tried to be friendly with everyone. Maybe I had been friendlier to Skywarp since he's alone. I looked over at the table that held the recharging Seeker; some of the other mechs had razzed me about Skywarp asking Optimus to tell me 'hiya'. I had run-ins previously with him during the battle for Portland and I did save his life while I was held captive at the Decepticon base. And then there was the bit where he was going to ask Megatron if he could keep me as a 'pet' because I told Starscream to 'shove it up his afterburner' and then got violently ill while inside his cockpit.

I turned to stare at the doors again. Why was Jazz so upset over this? The whole thing did not make any sense and it was a silly argument. I'm very well aware that the Seeker is a Decepticon, a 'bad guy', and would under normal circumstances be a very dangerous threat. But these weren't normal circumstances and Skywarp was as harmless as a baby. Granted he's a thirty-foot tall baby, but still. And if the tables were turned and it was a wounded Autobot that had been left back at the ruins, the mech would have been executed on the spot, or maybe interrogated and then executed, because that's how Decepticons are. They can't be trusted.

Was Jazz worried that I'd end up trusting Skywarp because I was friendly to him? I shook my head and frowned. After going through what I did at the Decepticon base there would be a snowball fight in hell before I'd believe anything a Decepticon said.

A sick feeling started to creep into my stomach: if he was upset over me being friendly, and spending time in the med bay, and me not 'understanding' what Skywarp was… maybe it wasn't me trusting the Seeker that upset him. _Maybe he didn't trust me_.

I started to panic as I flipped open my wireless Teletraan 1 and opened a radio link to him. "Jazz? I'm sorry I didn't understand why you're upset. Will you come back and we can talk-" There was an audible click and low static came over the line.

He turned his radio link off.

My throat tightened immediately and I tried to locate his whereabouts in the Ark using Teletraan 1. There was no sign of him inside the Ark, but it was logged that he left.

I pushed the wireless away from me.

Did this mean he really didn't trust me? Was that why he was angry enough to storm out and turn off his radio leaving me alone with my worst fears? Tears welled up in my eyes and I dropped my head into my hands. I didn't know what to do to fix this. Just the thought that he didn't trust me hurt. And as that evil thought wormed its way down into my heart the first of many pain-wracked sobs broke through.

--

"You're not going to turn your annoying music on today?"

I could feel his optics on me, but I didn't look at him. I focused solely on the monitor and took my notes. "No. I'm not."

Skywarp tilted his head and raised an optic ridge. "Why not?"

"It's not conducive for a proper work environment."

"Yeah, but it made me feel better. Turn it on." He smirked mischievously.

"No. Now lie still, I need to finish these tests." I still didn't look at him.

"Geez femme, who lubricated in your energon this morning."

I sighed and put my data pad down. "You did. Now lie still."

He was smirking again. "You should get me some."

"Get you some of what? Energon that has been lubricated in?"

"No." There was an evil mischievous tone to his voice. "That energon you drink."

I started to take the readings on his system recovery. "You're too hyper already. You don't need caffeine."

He crossed his arms over his cockpit and feigned being hurt. "What's wrong with being hyper?" He pointed towards my desk. "You already have some here, you should at least share."

I didn't answer him as I started to go over the information from his daily examinations. He was thankfully quiet for a bit, but he kept staring at me as if I would get unnerved by it.

He uncrossed his arms and sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, femme. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me." I still didn't look at him as I typed.

"Slag if there isn't something wrong. You're acting like Soundwave on a good day."

At that I looked up and glared at him, still not saying anything.

"Oooh, that got a reaction." He smirked. "So you going to tell me what's wrong?"

"You're a wounded birdie who's bored and is looking for attention." I went back to work. "Go into recharge so your body can finish your repairs and you can get out of here."

That shut him up and he just looked at me for a few minutes. "Okay, something is seriously wrong with you to make you to act like this."

The med bay doors opened announcing someone entering, and just by the sound of his ramped up internal systems I knew who it was. It had been three days since he stormed out - I assumed he needed time to cool down so I hadn't tried to contact him since. Now, he was standing just inside the doors and those icy cold fingers of panic griped my stomach. I was scared. I was scared of what he was going to say, if he said anything at all. Was he going to tell me that he didn't trust me and that everything was over? With all the worrying I had done the past few days and all the scenarios I had played out in my head, I didn't want to know what he would say.

With fear coming off me in waves, I panicked and did the first thing that my instincts told me to do: flee. I grabbed a handful of data pads and yelled shakily into the other room. "Ratchet! I'm going to go help 'Jack with inventory. Page me if you need me." My heart was in my throat as I tried to walk calmly out of the med bay. I didn't even look up at him.

I got the distinct sensation that he was staring at my back, but I didn't stop or turn around. I didn't want to know anymore if he didn't trust me. It was too painful to think about and I just wanted to be alone.

--

He smirked as Rachel didn't acknowledge the Autobot, enjoying the look of distress on his face as the door slid closed. He leaned forward on the table. Oh, this was going to be an interesting day. "So _that's_ what's got the femme so upset. She catch you interfacing with someone else?"

The glare he received was priceless as the Autobot's face contorted into rage and he stormed over to him. The mech grabbed him roughly by the throat and leaned in close. "She's got a name, Decepticon."

"Yeah, and so do I, Autobot." Oh, this was going to be real fun. "So what _did_ you do? Tell her that you're through your squishy phase and she should go back to the human city?"

The hand tightened around his throat as the Autobot spat at him. "You stay away from her, or you'll be missing more that just your wings."

"Hard to stay away from her since I'm a semi-permanent fixture and she works in here."

"Stay away from her."

The smirk spread across Skywarp's face. "You're a little slow on the uptake today, aren't you?"

A rifle was subspaced and pressed under his chin. "Do you understand me now, Decepticon?"

His optics slid to the other side of the room and the smirk turned into a malicious grin. "So you fix me up just to execute me in front of your medic? I'd bet a months worth of energon rations that he'd get slaggin' mad after he's worked so hard to put me back together."

"And he's right. I would get slaggin' mad. Did you need something, Jazz?" Ratchet stood in the middle of the room, his arms across his chest plate and glaring daggers at the back of the Saboteur.

The rifle was subspaced, but Jazz still held on to Skywarp's throat. The Seeker just grinned, knowing that the Autobot had been caught red handed.

"Did you need something, Jazz?"

"Naw, Doc. Just checkin' up on our patient." He let go of Skywarp's throat.

"Good, because if I see you with your weapon drawn in here again, there had better be a rush of the horde, Megatron and the Unmaker himself banging at the door. Got it?"

"Yeah, Ratchet. I was jus' leavin' anyways." He turned around and headed for the door, but Skywarp couldn't let him go without a parting comment.

"I'll tell Rachel that you came by to see me." The Seeker grinned cheekily.

Jazz stopped at the door, open and closing his fists rapidly before he punched the door panel and exited quickly.

Ratchet watched him leave and shook his head. He walked over to Skywarp and checked him for damage. "You shouldn't rile him up like that."

The Seeker eyed the medic. "Hey! He came in here that way. I actually didn't have to do anything. The femme left without a word to him and he got in my face about it."

Ratchet stopped the examination and looked Skywarp directly in the optics. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying trigger happy there walked in and she picked up her stuff and left." He smirked. "She didn't even look at him."

Ratchet regarded him for another moment before going to the monitor. "You've had enough excitement for today. Time for recharge."

He pressed a few buttons and caught Skywarp just as his optics flicked off and his body went slack on the exam table.

--

_The room he was in with Starscream and Thundercracker was filled with mechs, many he didn't know, and they were...having a party? _

_Tables ran along one side of the hall filled with crystal cubes of the finest high-grade he had ever seen, and when he looked down he saw that he held one filled with the shimmering gold liquid. He smirked as he lifted it to his lips and took a swig. It went down like sweet ambrosia and he sighed. This is going to be one excellent party. _

_And then he saw something that made him choke. _What the slag?

_Optimus Prime was walking up to them and Starscream... he was _smiling_ at the Autobot? He nearly dropped the cube he was holding as he tried to bring his Vulcan cannons online, but he couldn't. They weren't there. He checked for his heat-seeking missiles. They were gone too. What in the Pit? _

_He looked up at his wingmates and gasped. Starscream was still smiling, though not in his snarky way, and he was shaking Optimus Prime's hand. Thundercracker was smiling, too. Smiling like he did when they were younger and weren't burdened with everything. He looked around quickly. Either he had traveled to a parallel universe or he was having one slagging Pit of a hallucination. Thundercracker looked at him strangely. "You okay, 'Warp? You look like you've seen the Unmaker."_

_"TC. What's going on here?" He turned to look at friend and noticed that the muted purple Decepticon insignias were missing from his body. "TC?" He pointed at his friend's wing with a shaky hand. Why was his hand shaking? "Where's the...?"_

_"You've had too much high-grade already? When did you become such a lightweight?"_

_"It's not the high-grade, TC. What the slag is going on here?"_

_Starscream and Optimus were now looking at him. "Don't you remember?"_

_"Let me get Ratchet for you, Skywarp. You're looking unwell." The Autobot leader waved the grouchy medic over and he tried to back away from all of them._

_"'Warp? What's wrong?" Starscream was looking at him worriedly. His jaw dropped at that. There was actual concern in his optics._

_He looked between his two best friends like they had gone completely insane. "Where are my weapons? Why are we here and why the slag are you two smiling like sparklings when we're in a room full of Autobots?!"_

_The energon cube was taken away and Thundercracker and Starscream had moved to his sides, gently taking his arms and leading him towards a table. "I can't believe you're already overcharged. We just got here."_

_There were explosions outside and he ducked, cursing that he didn't have his weapons. Yet, no one seemed to mind the explosions. Instead of everyone around them pulling out weapons and diving for cover people moved to one side of the building to look at...fireworks?_

_Ratchet was now coming towards him, but he looked different. He stared at the Autobot for a few moments before it sunk in. He didn't have the Autobot insignia on. He looked at Optimus Prime and noticed that he didn't either. This wasn't right at all. Something was really wrong here and he tried to wrench free of his wingmates grasp. "Let go of me!"_

_There was another explosion, but this time it wasn't fireworks. This time it shook the very foundation of the building. Everyone's attention was drawn to the other side of the hall and there were loud gasps of horror. Then people started to scream and flee in panic._

_It had happened. _

_The planets had aligned and it was opening again. Starscream and Thundercracker had let him go and all three of them shared frightened glances. They had failed. _

_That's when he heard her scream. He could barely see her in the crowd of rushing mechs, her arms over her head as the others bolted past her, nearly stepping on her._

_Starscream pulled a gun from subspace and shot out the window, sending glass in every direction. He knew they had to get out of there and quickly, but he heard her scream again and he stopped to look back._

_"'WARP! COME ON! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!" _

_He ran over to her, scooping the femme up in his hands before running after his friends. They were already outside and in the air, quickly leaving the planet's atmosphere. He leapt into the sky after them and quickly tucked her safely into his cockpit, making sure she was secure as he struggled to catch up with the others. She was screaming about leaving that Autobot behind as he struggled to gain altitude._

"_We have to get out of here, Rachel!" Even his voice sounded strained over the roar of his engines as he over taxed them._

"_What about Jazz!?" _

"_No time for that! We have to get out of here!"_

His optics snapped open and he was cycling air quickly through his intakes. He could still feel the strain from his overtaxed engines and every micrometer of his body felt on edge. The orange titanium ceiling stared back at him as he calmed his systems down. Even in a forced recharge, he couldn't get away from whatever that was.

He could hear her light footsteps as she ran up the ramp to him. "Skywarp, are you okay?"

He fixed his optics on the ceiling and set his jaw. He didn't want to seem weak, but this was getting ridiculous. Was getting a full and peaceful recharge too much to ask for? He really wished Starscream was around. He'd get taunted and teased by the snarky Seeker, but at least he'd get a straight answer from him about what was going on. But Starscream and Thundercracker weren't around - he was surrounded by slagging Autobots and the femme.

Skywarp sat up and leaned on an elbow, glaring at the femme. "What exactly is a 'nightmare'?"

--

Sky spy picked up heavy Decepticon activity in the coastal waters of Washington; they were on an energon raid and attacking three oil tankers. Even with one of the Decepticons best fighters held in their medical bay, this wasn't going to be an easy fight for the Autobots over the water. The status of the other two Seekers was unknown - neither had been present at any of the subsequent battles since the fight at the ruins.

Luckily, Jetfire was close by to give aerial support and only a handful of mechs were out on patrol. Optimus Prime called out to everyone available who had hydrofoils to rendezvous outside the Ark and within minutes a growing group of mechs capable for travel and battle on the water were lined up and ready to fight. While most were making last minute weapon checks and listening to Prowl giving orders for the battle plan, Jazz kept watch on the entrance of the Ark.

Ratchet stood outside to watch the group leave like he always did when not going to the fight himself. He was a firm believer that if he watched the group all leave in one piece and alive, then they'd come back alive, even if they were in pieces. And Rachel had taken up that tradition of watching them leave, always with a special goodbye for him with a promise that he would come back to her alive, but today Ratchet stood alone.

He sighed. He knew he shouldn't have gotten so angry with her, and storming out and leaving her confused did not help the situation. He had no reason to doubt her and it was a stupid argument they had over the idiot Seeker. He hoped she'd come see him off today, but she had been avoiding him. The past few days, she had stayed close to Wheeljack and Ratchet from the start of her shift to the end, then secluded herself in her room the rest of the time.

Jazz turned and organized the mechs, getting them onboard Jetfire and confirming the last details of Prowl's battle plan, but he was distracted. How could he not be? He had gotten so used to her being there and seeing him off…

As he boarded Jetfire with Prowl and Optimus, Jazz felt the need to look back at the Ark again. He turned just in time to see Rachel step out from behind the grouchy medic's sturdy legs. Her sad and tear rimmed eyes locked with his visor and his spark ached painfully for making her cry. He fought the urge to run to her and sweep her up in his arms, but it was too late for a goodbye and Jetfire's cargo bay door started to close. Jazz quickly pointed to himself, then drew a heart in the air with his fingers, and then pointed to her.

His message was well received; she managed a smile for him as she wiped the back of her hand over her eyes.

He smiled. The moment he got back to the Ark he was going to find her and talk to her. He couldn't help being angry that she was around that Seeker so much; that jet had used his feelings about Rachel as a weapon in the past, and he seemed to have some fixation with her. But she was right. She worked in the med bay for a reason and right now she had to take care of the Seeker for Ratchet. He couldn't help worrying about her safety with that Seeker in the Ark. She had come a long way from the timid Rachel he had first brought to the Ark, but she was no match for a Seeker.

He'd keep a close optic on the 'Con, because he'd be slagged if he'd let that Seeker come in between them.

--

His face felt overly warm. Things inside his head were cloudy and he received warning messages as he brought his optics online. The unforgiving yellow sun glared at him and he put a hand up to shield his optics from the invading light. A groan escaped from him and he became painfully aware of something being jammed into his back. Very carefully, he lifted himself up on one elbow and off a pile of sharp rocks. Layers of compacted dirt fell around him. _Disgusting._ He cycled his air intakes only to find more of the dirt lodged in them. It would take him awhile to clear them of all the grime. He ran a system diagnostic and sat up fully, cables and gears creaking stiffly and, as fate would have it, with more dirt stuck in them.

There were creaks and pops from more stiff joints as he stood up and tried to brush the filth off his wings.

He looked around him at the barren landscape that he did not recognize at all. They had been at the ruined temple, but that was in a much greener setting, and this… was not right. His global positioning indicated that the temple was nearby, except there were no ruins to be seen. _Systems must have a malfunction_, he growled to himself and leapt into the air to get a better look.

Gaining some altitude, he was able to see more of the landscape and was convinced that his navigational systems were damaged… Until he saw the human city.

Or, what was left of the human city.

Something had come through the area and obliterated it. He moved up a little higher and surveyed the area. More than just the city had been wiped out. The blast radius was huge and it had obviously come from the spot where the temple had been.

_Megatron._ His lip components curled back in a snarl. The 'mighty Megatron' had shot the artifact and the power resonating from it had exploded in a massive concussive force. He screamed into the heavens in frustration. They needed that artifact! He wasn't able to study the crystal fully and now it was lost to them!

He spun around in the air looking for the 'glorious leader'. This was the last straw and he brought his weapon systems fully online. "WHERE ARE YOU, MEGATRON!?"

His answer was a dull whistle from a breeze that touched the desolation below.

He scanned the area. He had to be around here somewhere.

But there was no one.

No Megatron.

No annoying Autobots.

And no Skywarp.

His optics flashed as his fury rose. They left him behind!

He opened the Seeker's private comlink and growled. "You dirty slagger! How dare you leave me behind!?"

But there was no answer.

"Skywarp! Why did you leave me behind?! Did our 'glorious leader' call for a retreat and you ran away like a scared sparkling?"

The comlink was quiet.

The empty breeze caught something on the ground below that flickered in the bright sunlight and it caught his angry optics. He descended quickly, his anger now peppered with curiosity. The object flashed again as the breeze rattled over it. He bent down to pick it up, but stopped short, his fingers inches above it. The breeze pushed the object onto its side and revealed its very distinct black and purple markings. He picked it up and ran his thumb over the metal, brushing off the dirt that had accumulated. There was another flash to his right and another slightly farther away. He followed a trail of what once was glossy black and purple armor through the stony field, until he came upon a dirt and energon encrusted chunk of Skywarp's wing jutting out of the ground.

"Skywarp, answer me!"

There was too much of his armor strewn over the area…

"Skywarp!"

He wouldn't have made it back to the Nemesis this badly injured…

"SKYWARP!"

And Megatron wouldn't have lifted a finger to help a wounded soldier. Warriors that couldn't take care of themselves were deemed too weak to be called a 'Decepticon'.

For the first time in a very long time, panic started to fill his processors. "TC, are you there? Did Skywarp check in with you?"

The comlink was still silent. "TC?"

He ran another scan of his systems. "Thundercracker, can you hear me?"

His systems diagnostics registered he radio link was working properly, but there was only one way to find out for sure. "Starscream to Nemesis. Respond."

"Starscream." Megatron's voice drawled his name out in a disappointed snarl. "I see you are still functioning."

He scowled. "Yes, I am. No thanks to you, Megatron, for leaving me out here."

"If you are functioning, then you are perfectly able to find your own way back." The warlord didn't attempt to hide the loathing for his Second in Command.

"What is the condition of Skywarp?"

"Who?" There was no mistaking the evil taunt in Megatron's voice. "You mean that other glitching Seeker?"

Starscream snarled. "I demand to know what is his condition!"

"I assumed he was with you… A pile of forgotten scrap left behind with the Autobots."

He clenched and unclenched his hands rapidly. Megatron was trying to rile him up. "And the status of Thundercracker?"

There was a snort over the radio. "He's a disappointment. He failed to report back with Shockwave at the appointed time. Now if you are done asking inane questions and can find your way back to base without someone to hold your hand, you have duties to uphold."

He spat into the radio, "Yes, 'mighty Megatron'."

There had to be a very good reason why TC wasn't answering the comlink and he bet it had something to do with one of Shockwave's gadgets. And Skywarp was likely in the lab with the slag beat out of him. He wrenched the fragment of the Seeker's wing out of the ground and jumped into the air. He wasn't sure if he could salvage it, but he could try.

As he headed out over the ocean he tried to reach Thundercracker again, but there was still no answer. He frowned. There had to be a very good reason for all of this. Millions of possibilities of why their comlink wasn't working flashed through his processors: Skywarp was obviously injured and in stasis and Thundercracker was probably stuck in Shockwave's control room with the sensor dampers on. Those were the most likely reasons. He knew his wingmates would never leave him alone.

--

Like it? Hate it? Let me know!


	8. Chapter 8 Underworld

A/N: _I feel so evil. So the only 'sane' Seeker is off to work. He's got a job to do that he hates. First on the agenda -traffic, drop the kids off at school, the big presentation, then the business lunch with that difficult client -who wants to meet at the local strip club, then you have to dash off to night classes because you're looking for that big promotion, but its been a long day and -yawn- you're trying to stay awake and remembering how much easier this was when you were young, oh no! class is over and you forgot to turn your homework in -run!- professors office is around here somewhere... And that is the crack-summary for this story. Yes, I have gone without needed sleep to get this out and on the page. Just for you!  
_

_Thundercracker is on Cybertron and trying to get some work completed. Our poor Seeker has an eventful day. But he finds something sparklie and a hidden treasure (or two) that is of course covered in radiation__. And we find out what the original text is called! In the end he comes out on top and... there is fluff! Just for TC! Just a bit as I introduce two new characters to the mix. Seeker secrets abound! And we have the customary cliffhanger. Hey, we're finding more pieces of this strange puzzle, things need to start moving. It's only time that's running out._

Italics are used for emphasis on certain words, memories, and internal dialogue.

As always constructive criticism is welcomed! Reviews are given much love, and I love it when the readers try to guess whats coming next. I'm half way there on perfecting my evil cackle -evil grin-

**Chapter 8 – Underworld**

He knew the moment he left the memorial that he was being followed.

Two squadrons of official sweeps trailed him from a healthy distance at his sides. He chuckled wryly as he merged with the local air traffic. Did Shockwave really take him to be that stupid not to notice? Thundercracker kept an easy pace with the other fliers in the air. He'd let them shadow him… for now.

He opened the Seeker radio link in attempt to reach Starscream again. "Hey 'Screamer? Are you there?"

There was still no answer.

He sighed and hoped that neither was too badly injured from Megatron's wrath. Even though Soundwave's 'death' was not their fault, nor was Hook and the other Constructicon's treason, the trio of Seekers would always be the angry warlord's punching bags. But hopefully soon, that would stop forever. Yes, they had some set backs, but that was about to be remedied with the improved scanners and more information about the harmonic radiation signatures. He just had to ditch his unwelcoming committee before he went after supplies for the scanners.

The shining walls of Iacon's Fighting Academy appeared to his right and Thundercracker pulled out of the local air traffic. As he made his descent, the Seeker frowned; flags bearing the purple Decepticon insignia now marred the Academy gates where the tri-colored flags of Iacon once waved proudly. He transformed and landed gracefully not far from the entrance to the Academy. It was bigger than he remembered, now taking over the space where the University of Iacon once stood; the Decepticon Magistrate probably took no time to grab the area for expansion after the University was bombed out.

Thundercracker strolled towards the gates. Deep inside his spark he felt guilty; he was enlisting eager and naïve young mechs into a life that he hated and was trying to escape.

The guards at the Academy gates stopped him, eyeing his weaponry suspiciously. Only ranking Decepticon officers were allowed to carry weapons inside the city. "All Hail Megatron. State your business."

He narrowed his optics at the guards, obviously students and neither were fliers. "I am Lieutenant Air Commander Thundercracker of Megatron's Elite Forces. I assume you were informed of my arrival?"

The two guards saluted him, but still looked at him warily and dropped his honorific. "We were. You are to proceed to Arena 3A."

Thundercracker raised an optic ridge. Student or not, disrespecting an officer is a serious offense and usually ends badly. "Excuse me? I don't think I heard you right."

The two guards looked amused and traded chuckles. "You heard me just fine, flyboy."

He smiled and chuckled with them, as if it was the best joke in the universe. "Flyboy. That's a good one. I haven't heard that in a long time."

They kept laughing and started to point at his wings… and then the cocky guard _flicked_ his wing with his fingers.

Thundercracker brought his gun up and pointed it at the young guard's chest, all traces of humor gone. "You were informed of my arrival, correct?"

"Yeah, Arena 3A."

He tapped the gun barrel against the guard's chest. "I don't think I heard you right, soldier."

The guard looked at the gun pointed at him with indifference. "Yes. You're to go to Arena 3A, _flyboy_."

The dark blue Seeker roughly shoved the guard in the chest with his gun, forcing him to stumble backwards and then shot him in the leg. The guard fell and screamed, clutching his leg and rolling on the ground. The other guard looked on in shock until Thundercracker shot an evil glare at him. He immediately stood to attention, his bravado vanishing instantly. The Seeker turned his attention back to the wounded mech, grabbing him by the shoulder and hoisting him up to face him. "You will drop the attitude and address every single mech who holds position above you _properly_, or I will see to it that you are _expelled_ from the Academy with a dishonorable discharge. Do I make myself clear, _groundpounder_?"

The injured mech nodded and Thundercracker shook him. "Did I make myself clear?"

"Sir! Yes, sir!" Came the pained squawk.

He let the mech drop to the ground and glared at the other guard. "See that he makes it to the infirmary."

The guard saluted him sharply, "Yes, sir!"

Thundercracker turned and followed the walkway into the Academy heading directly to the Arena. His wings twitched in anger and he felt the need to bathe the wing the cocky guard had touched. _Groundpounders_.

He felt a twinge of guilt due to his actions, but he had just saved the mech's life. Any other officer would have killed him outright.

----

He walked along the ranks of gathered mechs who stood tall and eager. There weren't many fliers in the Academy and only a handful were gathered to stand for inspection, which was perfectly all right in Thundercracker's eyes. The skies belonged to him, Starscream and Skywarp alone, whether on Cybertron or Earth. And Megatron didn't care what type of fighter joined the Decepticon ranks; he only cared that they could fight and would lay down their very lives for him. It was appalling, but true.

Thundercracker scowled as he looked over the mechs. They were so very _young_. Did he and his wingmates look this young when they joined the Decepticons?

He checked his chronometer – he had just over 4000 astro-seconds before he was to report back to Shockwave and he still needed to get supplies for the scanners. He needed to make the selections for new cannon fodder quickly. "Sections one, two, five, seven, eight and eleven are to gather your personal belongings and report directly to Decepticon headquarters. The rest of you are excused and are to report back to your classes."

There were 'whoops' of excitement from the students that were accepted and many crestfallen looks from those who were not. Thundercracker wished he could excuse all of them, but he had his orders. Numerous students saluted him brightly as they filed out of the arena and into a life of numb destruction. Completely naïve about the road they were embarking on, most would be lucky to survive a vorn.

He followed the chosen ones out of the arena and stood at its entrance, looking up into the crystal midnight blue skies. It wasn't that long ago that he, Starscream and Skywarp stood here and contemplated about their future. Had they known exactly what they were getting into at the time, would they still have joined the Decepticons? Thundercracker crossed his arms over his cockpit and frowned. Had things been different they most likely wouldn't, even if 'Warp loved the idea of fighting just for the sake of fighting. But anger overrode sense and they joined to fight against the Autobots, and ended up caught in a mad mech's obsession to destroy his arch-rival and to rule over the universe. Had things been different, the three of them would be searching solely for the artifacts from their childhood dreams. He looked over at the newer sections of the Academy – the area where the University once stood. _Had things been different…_

The flier patrol passed by drawing his optics and mind from the past and revealing the squadron of sweeps that hovered in the sky. Shockwave was determined to keep tabs on him. The one-optic freak may think he has the entire city under his metal thumb, but he was no match for a Seeker. Thundercracker smirked, turning around and heading towards the student dormitories. Skywarp, in all his mischief making, had once found a forgotten access tunnel used by worker-drones for building the dorms that had not been sealed and the three of them used it regularly to sneak off to a local bar. He would need to travel on foot for a while, but the tunnel was in the direction he had to go anyways.

In under a cycle, Thundercracker had reached his destination and had effectively ditched the sweeps. The Cybertronian underground spread out in front of him like an oil-soaked steel spiders web; the once shining streets of the lower city now dank and filth covered and left to rot like most of its inhabitants. He was going to stand out and draw unwanted attention to himself; upper-worlders rarely came below, especially fliers. But he would have brought more attention if he had kept his Earth-alternate form. He doubted anyone would try to hassle a heavily armed Decepticon like himself, but he made sure his weapons were visible and ready.

Thundercracker pulled out the data pad with Starscream's instructions and the list of supplies that they would need for the upgraded scanners and proceeded into the dark streets. He needed to locate a certain mech named 'Swindle' who hung around a bar known for its loose mecha. He didn't have far to go before he found the place.

He pushed open the grimy door and was assaulted with loud music and the revolting stench of homebrewed energon. The bar was dark except for pools of muted lights where femmes danced for credits in front of lowbrow clients who hooted and howled. Thundercracker scowled and scanned the room, trying to discern which mech could be Swindle. Optics glared at him from all corners of the darkened bar; obviously, fliers didn't frequent the place and they didn't appreciate his presence in their territory.

A rather large and burly mech approached him from the side. "Oi! No weapons allowed in da house."

Thundercracker turned to face him with narrowed optics. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, its so. House rules sez no weapons-" The mech's optics fell upon the Decepticon insignia on his wings and suddenly thought better of the situation. "Uh, yeah, 'cept fer ya. Ya can keep yer weapons wit' ya, mister, and- and ya jus' let me know if anyone gives ya trouble in 'ere."

Thundercracker smirked, "Glad you could make an exception. For me." He looked around the room again before stopping the burly mech. "Tell me where I can find Swindle."

The burly mech looked at him and then motioned with his head to a darkened corner of the bar. "Table five, wit' Minerva."

"Thanks." Thundercracker walked across the bar, his smirk growing as the optics of those who had glared at him originally were now shying away from him and avoiding making optic contact.

The corner wasn't completely dark and a lone mech sat at a table ogling the red femme giving him a private show. The femme so wrapped up in her 'performance' she didn't notice Thundercracker's approach until she twirled around and ended up face to face with him. Her optics widened in surprise and she squeaked as he caught and steadied her on her feet.

Thundercracker smiled at the femme, "Would you give us a few moments, please?"

She nodded quickly and took off. Thundercracker turned to face the mech at the table. "I take it you're Swindle?"

The mech set his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together with a leering smirk. "Depends on who's asking."

The Seeker placed his black hand on the table and leaned in close to the smirking mech. "I'm asking. I hear that you are the mech to go to find certain items."

Purple optics glittered in the dim lights. "I do have a few… contacts that I do some contract work for. Easier to sell merchandise when you have someone who can assure the seller gets a fair deal for their goods. But my services come with a price. What are you looking for?"

Thundercracker dropped the data pad in the table. "Can you get it?"

Swindle picked up the pad and read it over before setting it carefully down on the table. "I might be able to… acquire some of these items. When do you need it?"

"Now."

The mech tilted his head and made a clicking noise. "Hmm, that will prove to be very difficult. I will need some time to get in touch with my sellers and that's a lot to gather in such a short time frame. That could end up being quite pricey."

Thundercracker smirked and pulled two smooth bars of pure electrum out of subspace, holding them up in the air for the mech to see. "I heard you like to be paid with items of substance."

Swindle eyed the electrum, "I might be able to find a couple of the items."

Another two bars of electrum were subspaced and held up for Swindle to see. The dealer smiled. "I think I just might have some of these items on hand." He stood up and motioned Thundercracker to follow him. "If you'll just step into my office, I'll see what I can do."

His 'office' turned out to be a rather large warehouse in the back of the bar and he flipped on a gritty lamp as they entered. "Now lets see what I have, shall we?"

Thundercracker stood at a table in the middle of the room, his optics roaming over the warehouse while Swindle started to gather the items listed on the data pad. Chip sets, sensor bars and other bits and pieces started to pile up on the table. A few pieces the dealer said he couldn't get, until the Seeker plunked another bar of the pricey metal on the table, and surprisingly enough, Swindle realized he had the items on a different shelf.

He checked his internal chronometer, he had plenty of time before he needed to report back. Bored of watching the sketchy dealer 'find' things in his warehouse, Thundercracker started to roam around the shelves looking at the odd kibble, weapons, computer parts and other things Swindle had 'acquired'. He stopped suddenly at one shelf.

The radiation sensor had gone off inside his subspace.

He turned to face the shelf, his optics scouring the area for a hint at what set it off; he didn't want to bring out the scanner in front of the dealer. The shelf was stocked with a number of items, any which could have the harmonic radiation signature, and nothing stood out of the ordinary to catch the Seeker's optics.

He was going to have to risk it and access the scanner.

He nonchalantly checked on the dealer as he subspaced the scanner and passed it over the area, the signal was coming from something farther back on the shelf. Sliding a stack of old books gently to one side, he found a series of stone figures that were obviously not Cybertronian and probably once belonged in a museum before the war. There was nothing out of the ordinary about them… but the item behind the statues was _extraordinary_. He carefully reached into the shelf and pulled out a large star-shaped prism. It was made of the purest, unflawed crystal he had ever seen and it sparkled brilliantly even in the dull lamp light.

The scanner identified it as the source of the radiation. Thundercracker stowed the sensor and held up the beautiful prism. "How much for this?"

Swindle's head popped out from behind a shelf and he smirked. "What's it worth to you?"

Thundercracker's optics narrowed. "I like it. How much?"

"Well, that particular item was especially difficult for me to get. A collector wanted it and after all the trouble I went through to obtain it, he backed out of the deal, but I'm positive I can find another buyer for it. Objects like that fetch a nice price on the black market. Not to be rude, but I'm not sure a gentlemech of your means can really afford such a exquisite, museum quality piece such as that."

"How much?"

The weasely mech moved towards the table. "One cannot accurately set a price on such an item. A museum would pay so much for a rare find like that, while a private collector would stop at virtually nothing to possess it."

"Fine." Thundercracker reached inside his subspace and retrieved a small black can that he held between his finger and thumb. "Do you know what this is?"

Purple optics narrowed and Swindle looked between the can and the Seeker. "…Is that?"

He nodded with a smirk. "And easily worth your 'collection' and every item you have had or ever will have."

The dealer's optics twinkled in delight as he stepped closer to Thundercracker. "And you are willing to part with that much of it just for the prism?"

"No." He held the can just outside of Swindle's reach. "I'll trade this for the prism, all of the gear on the list and I'll take the electrum back."

"You have yourself a deal."

----

Thundercracker walked back towards the Fighting Academy eager to get back to Earth and show Starscream his find. He had tried to get Swindle to tell him where he had gotten the prism from, but the dealer either was telling the truth about it coming with the statues or he wanted more for the information. Though, he had mentioned that a museum would be interested in it…

He pulled the scanner out of subspace. Maybe there were other pieces on Cybertron that had the different harmonizing radiation signatures. The prism, now in his subspace, was interfering with a full ranged scan of the planet, yet there was a tiny variation in the sensor. It wasn't any of the main signatures, but it fell within the parameters of the updated information. And it was in the general vicinity of the Academy. Or where the University used to be…

Thundercracker entered the Academy the same way he left it, through the access tunnel, and meandered across the campus towards the newer sections. He chuckled as he looked up into the sky, it seemed that Shockwave didn't approve of his 'disappearance' and had sent more sweeps to watch over the Academy. He pretended not to notice them and made it appear that he was exploring the recent extensions of the campus, which he was. And the closer he got to where the University had once stood, the stronger the radiation signal became. Towards one of the far walls that separated the Academy from the city was an area that was still under development and ground had recently been broken to start building. The Seeker scanned the skies for the sweeps: there were two that were close enough to see him if he went to look at the area for the new section.

He would need a distraction.

There was a commons area for students not far from where he was, if he could cause a commotion there to draw the sweeps attention away, he might get enough time to check out the grounds before he would be spotted. He slipped among the shadows towards the commons. There were around a dozen students in it, some studying and some just hanging out. One controlled sonic boom should stir up enough noise to give him time.

Three, two, one…BOOM!!

The sonic boom shook the area and sent the students screaming for cover. Thundercracker ran back to the construction area just in time to see both squadrons of sweeps move to check out the disturbance. Moving quickly with the scanner in hand, he swept the area with the sensor looking for the exact source of the radiation signature. The scanner stopped at a certain point... he was standing directly above the signature. _Slag!_ It was down below him! He looked about frantically. The place where they had cleared the ground and broken through the original surface was too small a space for him to get through unless he helped the excavation along. He subspaced his side arm and shot at the ground, the laser melting through the existing break.

_Come on! Come on!_ Thundercracker could hear the sweeps returning, yet the hole was still not big enough for him. _Just a little more_! A chunk of the heated metal fell in and he folded his wings back, dropped to the ground, and slipped through the hole that was barely big enough to let him in. Standing on the ruined level below, he hissed loudly when the molten metal from the hole above dripped on his wings. He brushed at them furiously, trying to get the slag off of them before it burned him too badly. Above him he could hear the sweeps engines as they passed over the area. Hopefully, he had evaded them again.

He unfurled his wings, accessed his night vision and looked about the area he had entered. A frown spread across his face the moment he recognized what it was: he had found one of the lower levels of the University of Iacon's Library.

He pulled the sensor out and started to scan the area for the location of the radiation signature, passing by toppled bookcases and the burned remnants of Cybertronian books. Thundercracker stopped next to a crushed bookcase and shook his head ruefully. It was on that exact bookcase that he had found the data pad with the scanned text while he was trying to get some of his homework done. Starscream and Skywarp were in the library with him: 'Screamer was working obsessively over a new research paper while Skywarp sat with them and goofed off. It was purely by accident that he had found the text…and a stroke of luck that he found perfection right after that.

Thundercracker turned around slowly, remembering exactly how the room looked that day. He had been looking through the bookcase for a certain text on Cybertronian history when his optics landed on the aged and chipped data pad that had been rotting on the shelves for who knows how many vorns. He remembered staring at the title of the text before reverently pulling it off the shelf.

_The table they had claimed was on the other side of the room from where he was trying to find the book he needed. Skywarp had his feet up on the table pushing Starscream's textbooks over every few kliks and enjoying pestering the red flier. Starscream was hunched over his data pad writing furiously, optic ridges furrowed in anger and one hand trying to keep his textbooks on top of the table. _

_He thumbed through the texts on the shelf looking for the book he needed and getting frustrated at not finding it. "'Time of Troubles'…Time… Time… Bah! Why can't anyone put things back where they belong?" The blue flier's wings were hitched up in agitation as he searched further down the row. "Time…Time…" He stopped suddenly as his fingers landed on the battered data pad. "…'The Last Seeker'?" Ever so carefully, he drew the data pad from its ancient slot, having to wiggle it slightly as it stuck to the shelf. He accessed the first page of the data pad, his optics widening as the words spilled across the screen, 'The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight'. He scanned over a few of the pages in disbelief... the story told to them long ago about the greatest warriors Cybertron had ever produced was real._

_He spun around and dashed out of the shelves to where Starscream and Skywarp sat bickering. "Hey, guys… You need to see this!" But with his eyes on the text and not where he was going, the blue flier ran straight into someone coming from the opposite direction. Books went flying in all directions and he gaped down stupidly at the person he had accidentally knocked over. "Uhm, sorry. I didn't see you there…"_

_The most perfect set of golden optics he had ever seen glared up at him. "You shouldn't be running in here, people are trying to study."_

"_Yeah, sorry." His processors started to glitch._

_The golden optics stopped glaring at him, and the femme they belonged to started to collect her fallen books from the floor._

"_Wait, let me help you." He got down on the floor and helped her collect her books, trying to make optic contact again with her. _

_She didn't look at him until she sat back on her heels, gathering her books into her arms. "Thank you."_

_He smiled at her as she stood up, turned and started to leave. Realizing the femme was about to walk away, he tried to think of a way to stall her.. and noticed that the perfect golden optics also had a perfect pair of wings. "You're a flier."_

_She turned back around to look at him with a playful smirk. "So are you."_

_His smile grew as he stood up and faced her. "I'm Thundercracker…"_

The dark blue Seeker frowned and shook the memory away, turning his attention back on the scanner. The past was the past and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.

The signal veered off to a far corner of the library and a staircase that led down to more levels. Thundercracker headed to the stairs purposefully and followed the radiation signature, his footfalls echoing loudly in the library. Shadows from the darker parts of the room slipped along the walls under the covers of stealth and silence, and followed the intruder. Still lost in his unwanted thoughts, the shadows that followed him went unnoticed.

The stairs went down further than he had suspected and the signal started to grow stronger the farther he went. The bottom of the stairs opened up into dank hallways lined with doors, and he could faintly hear water dripping from somewhere nearby. The lights had long gone out and some of them hung haphazardly from the broken ceiling. He turned his running lights on low and continued to follow the signal down a badly damaged hallway. The level had sustained serious damage from the bombing and he wondered how the upper levels of the library had not crushed it. There were a few inches of water on the floor that glittered as he moved through it, reflecting his running lights in the darkness. As he neared the end of the hallway and the final door, the scanner flared to life and started to read multiple harmonic radiation signatures all coming from behind it.

Thundercracker stared at the scanner trying to absorb all the information it was putting out. All three of the signatures were being detected along with numerous similar signals. Whatever was behind that door was a virtual diamond mine of importance to the Seekers… and it was out of his reach.

The door was shielded and had a keypad.

He shoved the scanner back into subspace and tried the door, maybe the damage from the bombing had jarred it loose, but it didn't budge. He pulled a cable from his arm, connecting it to the keypad and started to run the 32-key algorithm cipher that was used for most Decepticon key codes, but whoever programmed the keypad didn't use one. He threw his shoulder into the door, tried to kick it in –repeatedly-, pulled his side arm out and fired at it, all with no results.

He stood there and glared at the door, as if he could open it just by thinking evil thoughts at it, while he puzzled out how else to get in there. Heavy-duty weapons and other things he had at his immediate disposal were out of the question, the area was too unstable to even consider using them. Starscream's hacking skills were the only other non-destructive options he could think of. He opened the still silent comlink and tried to reach his wingmates again. "Either of you glitch mice operational?"

He sighed and thumped his fist on the doorframe. _Why the frak aren't they answering?_

There was a soft 'click' and something pricked his neck. "What the slag?" His voice echoed down the hallway and his hand went up immediately to find a barb sticking out of the back of his neck, but the moment he tried to pull it out an electrical pulse discharged and he fell to the floor unconscious.

----

When Thundercracker came back online, he found himself bound in a chair in a completely dark room lit only by the glow from his optics. He shook the fuzzy feeling from his head and tried to bring his weapons systems online only to find them disabled along with his sensor array. His muttered curse resounded dully in the room, "Slag."

An overly mechanized voice pierced the darkness. "What were you doing in the Library, Decepticon?"

Thundercracker narrowed his optics and tried to find the location of the voice. "That's my own business. Who are you and what do you want?"

"I will ask the questions. Why are you here in the Library?"

"I'm not answering anything until you identify yourself."

There was a silent pause before the mechanical voice continued. "Then we are at an impasse."

He cast his optics around the room still trying to find the voice; it sounded like it emanated from every corner. "Brilliant deduction skills."

"What are you searching for in the Library, Decepticon?"

Thundercracker smirked. "A book."

"This is not the time for games, Decepticon. Answer the question. Why are you here?"

He pulled at the cuffs that held his wrists behind his back. "I told you, I'm looking for a book."

"Why do Shockwave's sweeps and storm-troopers hunt for you?"

"Heh, alright. I'll answer that question." He hitched his wings up and tugged at the bonds. "Because he doesn't trust me. All Decepticons have trust issues, you know."

"What were you doing in the underground?"

"Oh, now that's not fair. You know more about me than I do about you." The Seeker chided. "Who are you?"

The mechanical voice did not skip a beat. "It does not matter who we are, Decepticon. What matters is why are you here?"

Thundercracker shifted positions trying to find a more suitable angle as he worked his wrists inside the cuffs. "You do realize that there is a hole up above the Library that has just been opened up for construction on this site, and on the other side of that hole is the Decepticon-run Fighters Academy?"

"Yes, we do."

"Well, there you go."

The voice went quiet and Thundercracker ran a quick systems check trying to find out how they disabled his sensor arrays. He chuckled out loud when he realized they had place sensor dampers on him. "You tie me up and use Shockwave's toys to play with me?"

"We find them most useful when we capture Decepticons who are behaving oddly."

A wicked smirk spread across his face as he realized who had captured him. "Behaving oddly, you say? And just how am I supposed to act? Walk around kissing Shockwave's aft and fawning over Megatron's greatness? I think not. But I also do not subscribe to the_hypocritical_ beliefs of the Prime and his rebels. 'Freedom is the right of all sentient beings', is a slaggin' laugh. Both factions kill with impudence and leave those caught in between their ideologies to die in the name of their war."

"You speak openly against Megatron?"

"If it goes against my conscious, then I'll speak how ever I want."

"We think this behavior to be odd for a Decepticon."

"And I think you can take a long walk out of a short airlock." He shifted his wings again looking for weight discrepancies. His wings would be the ideal spot to place the sensory dampers on.

"Why are you here at the Library, Decepticon?"

"I've already answered that. Now tell me who you are." Ah. There it is. Right wing just above his shoulder.

"Who we are is not important."

A mischievous smirk worthy of Skywarp played across his face. "Do you know who I am?"

The mechanical voice paused, as if it was considering the question. "You are the Decepticon who recruits for Megatron."

"I did some recruiting today, but that doesn't answer the question. Do you know who I am?" He tried to sound bored. Just one small boom and he'd have that damper off.

"Decepticon aerial warrior, flier class."

"I think we've already established the fact that I am a Decepticon, and the wings should have given away the fact that I'm a flier, but I guess you don't know who I am."

"You are a Decepticon aerial combatant who is hiding in the Library from Shockwave's troops, most likely because of treason."

"Oooh, wrong again. Thanks for playing." He chuckled evilly. "Would you like me to tell you who I am?"

"Your name does not matter, Decepticon."

His voice was smooth as silk and he secretly wondered how much of Starscream's and Skywarp's personalities had rubbed off on him over the eons. "Would you like me to show you?"

"What do you mean, Decepticon?"

"I_mean_ would you like me to _show_ you what I am called?"

"How would you show us?"

"You placed the sensor damper on my right wing. I can destroy that in an instant. I can also destroy these cuffs in an instant. I can destroy this _room_ in an _instant_._I can destroy the entire area in an instant._" Thundercracker practically purred to the voice in the room. Wanton destruction mixed with guile, he smirked and made a note to ask the others when he got back if they ever experienced his personality rubbing off on them.

The voice was quiet.

Thundercracker prompted them to respond. "Well? Shall I start the show?"

"You are Thundercracker of the Decepticons." The voice changed, it was still overly mechanical, but the timbre of it was altered.

Vocal modifier to hide the identity of the speaker; the Seeker was impressed with all the trouble they took to hide themselves from him. "And you're at least two Autobot rebels with a vocal modifier."

"Why are you here, Thundercracker?"

"I told you, already. I'm looking for something."

"Why are Shockwave's storm-troopers after you?"

"Shockwave doesn't trust anyone. Megatron probably wanted him to keep close tabs on me." Thundercracker hitched his wings up; having his hands bound behind his back was _very_ uncomfortable. "Now if you don't mind." He cupped his hands and the controlled sonic boom shattered the cuffs.

"Thundercracker! Wait!" The mechanical voice sounded frantic and nothing like the first voice. "The exit is to your left, you will find your weapons just outside the door and evidence to take back to Shockwave. We ask in return that you never return to the Library."

"Oh? And why shouldn't I? Obviously there is something down here that you are trying to protect." He reached behind him and ripped the damper off his wing.

"You are not in the Library anymore. And we ask you to not return there to show respect for the people that died in the bombing of the University…"

Thundercracker scowled as his night vision came on and he found the door. "We'll see. Don't think this is over, Autobots."

Lamplight from a busy street corner flooded the room beyond his prison. As promised he found his weapons and multiple drone heads from Shockwave's force right outside the door, but there was something left there for him that he hadn't expected and it surprised him.

There, lying under his incendiary guns was a data disk and a pile of ripped Autobot and Decepticon insignias.

----

"It was dangerous to bring him here. He could have destroyed the entire street!" The broad shouldered white mech reprimanded the four gathered in his office. "Your actions were beyond reckless and you put everyone in the area in danger! We are in this area for a specific purpose, and bringing Shockwave and his storm-troopers down on the heads of the innocent people here is not it!"

Three of the four gathered looked at the floor, abashed and ashamed as their Commander gave them a dressing down.

The fourth looked at the white mech defiantly. "He was trying to get into the sealed lab on the lower floors. There is something in there that the Decepticons want and now they'll know about the Library all because of him!"

"I appreciate your concern and I admire your passion to keep the Library grounds safe as a memorial to those who died. But we cannot fight off Shockwave's entire force just to save the Library."

Impassioned optics narrowed. "Then I'll fight alone to protect it! I'd rather die trying to save the Library from Thundercracker and the Decepticons than run to a safer location!"

Bright blue optics smiled on the impassioned optics. "Allow me to contact Optimus Prime first before you run off to fight for the Library. He should at least know that we had a visit from a Seeker."

"The 'Seekers' are nothing but the rantings of a mad mech."

"That may be true, but that doesn't make that trio any less dangerous." The bright blue optics looked the four over. "I am disappointed with your actions today. All of you. Hopefully you will take into consideration the repercussions of your actions from now on. Though, I must admit that I am impressed that the three of you brought down a Seeker."

"Pfft. She shot him in the back with a tazer-dart."

Azure optics turned on the impassioned ones. "You expected me to draw my weapons and fight him head on in a decrepit building that is nano-kliks from falling down?"

"All right. That's enough. All of you are dismissed." The broad shouldered mech shooed the group out of his office and shut the door.

The four walked down the hallway of the makeshift base: two silent and sullen for disappointing their Commander, one thoughtful, and the final angry.

The thoughtful azure optics contemplated over the events from earlier as the group passed through the base. A whimsical smile crossed her lips and she mused out loud. "You know… if all the Decepticons looked like Thundercracker, there might be hope for them yet." –THUMP- "Ouch!"

----

Thundercracker landed in front of the Decepticon headquarters and stormed into the control room. "What is the meaning of this, Shockwave?"

The golden optic turned and looked at him with indifference. "What do you mean, Seeker?"

He held up in one hand the neural wires of seven of storm-troopers; their metal heads clanging together like some gruesome scrap metal wind chime. "This! You sent your own troops to attack me at the Academy!"

"I did no such thing, Seeker."

Thundercracker marched up to the communications console and sent a transmission to Earth. "Thundercracker to Megatron."

The giant monitor crackled to life and a sullen Megatron appeared. "Shockwave. Do I need to have new security protocols installed on our communications systems?"

Thundercracker didn't let the dark purple mech speak. "All Hail Megatron. What is the meaning of having Shockwave send his forces after me while I was at the Academy recruiting troops?"

Blood red optics narrowed and turned their focus to the one-eyed mech. "Is this true, Shockwave?"

"Lord Megatron, I do not know what the Seeker is babbling about."

Thundercracker sneered at him and pulled the data disk out of his subspace, holding it up for both mechs to see clearly before inserting it into the computer. "I was able to procure the video feeds from the Academy of the attack."

The recording showed a triad of sweeps and seven storm-troopers rush at the dark blue 'Seeker' with weapons blazing… in front of a group of students. The 'Seeker' single handedly destroyed his attackers and collected their heads as the watching students cheered for him. _Oh, I am so keeping this. Wait 'til Skywarp sees it_. While he gloated over the disk, Thundercracker had to admit that his kidnappers went to a lot of trouble to make this. He guessed it was incentive to not return to the Library.

Unfortunately, he needed to return to get at whatever was in that shielded room.

----

Jetfire hovered just above the coastal waters of Washington with his cargo bay door open and his sensor array on high, directing the others to where there were humans floating in the oily sludge. The Autobots had chased Megatron and his Seeker-less force off, but not before he blew up two of the oil tankers and set fire to the oil slick that was seeping into the once beautiful waters. Mechs on hydrofoils skimmed over the waters plucking the humans out of dangers way and delivering them to the safety of Jetfire's cargo hold.

Optimus Prime had already sent a coded message to the Secretary of Defense, Wes Granger's office about the need for military assistance in the situation; and the Secretary's responded just as quickly with helicopters and medical personal for the injured.

Once the humans were safely away, the Autobots tried to contain the oil slick and keep it from ruining the area. The fires were easily extinguished and containment of the spill was completed with minimal damage to the coastal waters and the local wildlife.

The battle had been the easy part of the whole ordeal; rescue and cleanup left the Autobot group tired, weary and covered in oily grime. Jetfire had succumbed to a nearly exhausted state from having to shuttle humans, mechs, and the three oil tankers back to the coast. He floated lazily on the waves in his Veritech alternate mode, awaiting the dead-tired others to board so they could return to the Ark for some hard earned rest… and then a sensor started to beep.

He shook himself out of contemplating what his recharge berth was going to feel like when he got home, to focusing on just which sensor was making the noise. Surely, there weren't any more humans out here, it had been hours since the military had taken the last group to safety. What out here would set his sensors off?

Everyone was sitting inside Jetfire's cargo bay waiting to be taken back to the Ark for a trip through the wash racks and then a good night of recharge. They were expecting the doors to close any moment and the gentle scientist's engines to start up and take them home.

They weren't expecting this…

"OH SLAG!! OPTIMUS!!"

The stunned and startled Autobot leader jumped to his feet and hurdled the mechs in the way between him and Jetfire's cockpit. "Jetfire! What is it?!"

"It's moving!"

"What's moving? Jetfire? What's moving?"

"The Allspark! Earth's Allspark is moving!!"

-----

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	9. Chapter 9 Dreams and Nightmares

_If you've read this chapter already please ignore the repost. For some reason FFNet took my story down. Sorry for the inconvenience. _

_A/N: This chapter was difficult to write. I answer a few questions in here along with creating a handful more. What do mechs dream of and why are Skywarp's nightmares creepy? We find out about the Cybertronian script that Rachel found on the Pyramid of the Sun before everything was destroyed and how it relates to the original text on the Pyramid of the Moon. Jetfire and Rachel start to piece some of the mystery together and there might be a hint or a few of where the next pieces of the puzzle can be found. Thundercracker gives us a little more insight on the Seeker text. Rachel has a breakdown but thank goodness Ratchet is there. And then there is Jazz and Rachel FLUFF! About time, huh? Don't worry, there is a lot more fluff coming soon especially when certain promises are fulfilled. _

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews given much love! I'm trying to get chunks of the story in order so I can post faster, but now that I've set up most of the events things move quicker.

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 9** – Do Cybertronians Dream of Electric Sheep?

Skywarp sat up slowly, glaring at me as he shifted his weight onto an elbow. "What exactly is a 'nightmare'?"

I looked at him for a moment as it sunk in that he actually asked about what I had suspected was causing his sudden system spikes and abrupt jolts out of recharge. "Well…" I started slowly, trying to think of a way to explain it. "It's a dream that…" Think quickly, Rachel. You can't use the word 'scare' or anything like that otherwise he'll get mad and stop talking, but you don't want to insult his intelligence. "It's a dream that you find very disturbing."

Skywarp gave me a strange, yet slightly bored look. "A disturbing dream…"

I nodded and then realized that I didn't know if mechs could dream, so I wasn't too surprised by his next question.

"So… what's a dream?"

I pursed my lips and decided I needed some help. "Hold that thought." I turned and ran down the ramp over to my desk, gathering my wireless Teletraan 1 and running back to the table. I crossed my ankles and plopped down onto the table next to his arm, flipping the screen open and running a search on Cybertronian psychology.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to see if there is a phenomenon similar to human dreaming and what you might be experiencing…" I looked up from the screen and into his red optics. "Uhm…exactly what are you experiencing, anyways?"

He frowned and looked away.

Since he had ignored my offers of help previously on this, I wondered what had made him change his mind to ask me about it. I gently put my hand on an unbroken piece of his armor. "I won't tell anyone if you're worried about that. I promise."

He turned to face me; all traces of the normal snarky Skywarp were gone and replaced with a very cold and very serious look. "Can you fix it?"

"I- I don't know. Truthfully. We can try-"

He turned away again.

"Wait, Skywarp. Listen to me, please. I want to help you."

He gave me an annoyed look from the corner of his optic.

"I need to understand what is going on first. If it's really like a human dream, then there are options that we can try, like putting you into a deeper recharge-"

"Doesn't work." He grunted. "It still happens."

"There has to be a way to fix it. I'm not entirely sure right now on what to do since I don't know what is going on to make you wake up like this or what exactly is causing it, but… I still need you to tell me what is happening."

He looked over at the door to Ratchet's office before focusing back on me. "If you tell anyone, femme…"

I met his gaze. "I swear on my life, I will never speak of it to anyone."

Skywarp glanced around the med bay. "No one can hear us?"

"No one can hear us. We're completely alone. Ratchet is in recharge for another hour and Wheeljack is working in his lab. You're safe."

He motioned with his head to the only other patient in the med bay. "And him?"

I frowned and shook my head. "He's in stasis lock. There is no way he could hear us."

The Seeker craned his neck around to get a better look at him. "What happened to him?"

I sighed as I looked over to the table with the silent body attached to monitors. "Long story."

Skywarp turned back to me and gave me a half nod, he shifted uncomfortably and I took the wireless Teletraan 1 out of my lap, setting it next to me and giving my full attention to the Seeker.

"Well…" He leaned in closer and started to speak softly. "There is this… thing. Like, something tore a hole in the sky… and it catches us in a gravity well…"

His optics started to dart around again, so I lowered my voice to try and calm his paranoia. "Like a black hole?"

He shook his head. "Naw, its like this." He drew a jagged line on the table in front of me with his finger. "Like the sky was ripped open."

I nodded in understanding. "Go on."

"And the gravity is nothing like a black hole… this is… much stronger and you can't move once it catches you." He leveled his gaze at me. "And it… grabs us before we know what's happening."

"Starscream and Thundercracker?" I kept my voice just above a whisper and he nodded.

"The first few times I… dreamed about it, it crushed 'Screamer and TC in front of me. Obliterated them… and I… saw it shred TC, and I could hear them screaming…" He shuddered.

I felt a chill rush down my spine and I looked at him in pure horror. "No wonder you're being dragged out of recharge… I'd wake up screaming if I dreamt about that."

"There's more… While the gravity is crushing me… there are all these thoughts running through my processors about how we failed to stop this from happening…"

"How often have you dreamt about this?" I dropped my voice to a lower whisper.

"At least a dozen times…"

I shivered and started to pick up the wireless. "That definitely is a nightmare. Let me see what I can find on-"

"There's more than that, femme."

I looked up at him incredulously before putting the laptop back down. "Go on."

"We were on Cybertron and there's a major conjunction that happens right before the rift shows up." His voice dropped lower. "We watched the rift suck away the sun before turning on us. Then the whole thing about watching the others die and the thought that we failed happens."

I mentally tallied up the underlying themes I started to see in his dreams. Fear of losing things important to him like his friends and his home, fear of helplessness to stop it from happening… I wasn't sure what the rift symbolized, though.

A strange look came across his face and his optics narrowed at me. "Are you okay, 'Warp?"

He just stared at me and I started to wonder if I did something wrong. Before I could voice my concerns, he started to speak again. "Last few have been… weird."

"You don't have to go on."

There was such a strange look in his optics as he stared at me silently and I started to feel uncomfortable. I wasn't sure if he was debating on telling me anymore or if was regretting telling me in the first place and trying to figure out a way to kill me and hide the evidence. I didn't know if he was waiting for me to look away or wither in fear from his gaze, but I kept my eyes on his optics. But if he really was going to squish me, I'd rather see it coming.

Minutes ticked away and the look in his optics didn't change. I wondered what exactly he was thinking about. It couldn't have been about killing me; Decepticons didn't take that much time deliberating options like that. Did he still want my help or was he going to revert back to overly cocky tough-guy mode and deny that anything was wrong? He was definitely having nightmares, and ones that would scare the living daylights out of me if I dreamt them. I forced a shudder back as I thought about watching and hearing my friends die like that. I wouldn't sleep for days after a dream like that… and I didn't even want to consider the reaction I'd have if I dreamt that happening to Jazz. And even though Skywarp is a Decepticon and a cold-blooded killer, he could still feel pain, anguish, loss and regret, especially since he had the reoccurring theme in his dreams that he and the other Seekers had failed. There was something akin to a soul inside the snarky mech. I mean… he missed Thundercracker and Starscream. _He actually missed Starscream_. Skywarp, a big bad Decepticon, had friends. A Decepticon with friends. Friends, that the thought of watching them die, scared him out of recharge. I'm sure he would never admit that out loud, but from the few conversations with him here in the med bay it was obvious there was a deeper connection between the three.

The strange look he was giving me was driving me nuts. Why was he looking at me like that? What was he thinking about? Why had he stopped talking? Did I do something wrong? Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I crossed my arms over my chest and tilted my head. "What are you thinking about?"

His red optics narrowed a touch more, but he didn't say anything and it seemed that we were going to continue the staring contest. Then I heard his internal systems speed up.

I stopped looking at his optics and quickly turned my focus on his chest. Something was triggering another system spike. I squinted and ran my gaze over his systems; if he was going to freak out from being inside or about his wings again, then I'd need some warning to get Ratchet out here. Right off I noticed his intakes were drawing more air than normal. The rate his fuel pump was moving energon through his body had increased and there was a marked increase in the amount of coolant running through his systems which puzzled me. The temperature had not changed in the room and he didn't look angry per se, but when isn't a Decepticon angry? So far there was nothing too serious. We had replaced a lot of the lines that had been damaged including lines that had been clogged with soot and coagulated energon and there was a slight chance that we missed a clot, and that worried me. A clot in the new lines would be dangerous, but the energon in his system was running smoothly through the lines. My eyes drifted towards his internal repair systems, which were still working, humming away as they continued to repair the minor wounds in his body. Everything was looking okay until my eyes landed on his spark chamber.

I don't know why I hadn't noticed it earlier while Ratchet and I worked on him, but it caught my gaze now. It was a strange shade of dark blue and it oscillated at a rapid and odd pace. I stood up and moved closer to his chest, trying to make sense of his strange rhythm. Three beats, four beats, three beats, five beats, three beats: I hadn't seen this type of pulse in any of the Autobots, nor had I seen that deep of a color for a spark.

My 'examination' of him finally broke Skywarp's silence. "What are you doing, femme?"

"Since you stopped talking and were just staring, I wanted to make sure your systems were okay. I don't need a clog in your newly replaced energon lines damaging you."

"And you can do that without the monitors?" The tone in his voice oozed disbelief.

"Yes, I can." I ignored his tone. "You're experiencing a minor system spike and your spark oscillation is strange."

"Huh?"

"The cadence of your spark is odd. When Ratchet comes in, I'm going to have him check it out." I turned to look at him. "Did you know your spark is dark blue? I haven't seen a spark that deep of a color before."

He went back to being silent and giving me that strange look. I sighed and hung my head. I didn't want to play his staring game anymore. "Did I do something wrong, Skywarp?"

He raised an optic ridge at me. "No."

"Is there a specific reason why you're staring at me?"

He didn't answer.

I waved my hand at his face. "Earth to Skywarp. Anyone home?"

"What?"

"Do you want to keep talking about the dreams? You said your last few…" I dropped my voice to a whisper. "…were weird. Weird how?"

His red optics narrowed at me and the strange look came back, but thankfully he started to talk. "We're at a party on Cybertron, and I guess the war is over… we're in a room full of Autobots…"

"And then the rift appears?"

He nodded and frowned. "But…"

I tilted my head. "But?"

"I can see the conjunction happen and everyone starts to scream… and we try to get away from it…"

"So you, Starscream and Thundercracker are able to flee?"

His frown deepened. "We realize we failed…at whatever we were supposed to have done… and…" He looked at the wall and I could see the cables in his neck tense as he set his jaw.

"Skywarp?"

He turned back to face me quickly with a snarl. "And you're there and you look strange and I save your annoying squishy self!"

I stepped back at his sudden outburst, obvious shock spreading across my face. _Did he just say what I thought he said?_

He scowled and lay back on the table, staring at the ceiling. I stood there staring at him now, feeling uncomfortable about the whole situation. Why was I in his dreams? I cleared my throat awkwardly. "I was in your dream?" My voice squeaked at the end.

"Yes." He huffed at the ceiling.

"Oh." What was I supposed to say to that? Thank you from saving me in your nightmare? And why am I in his nightmare? I thought back to my little Jungian theory about his fears of losing things important and the helplessness. He couldn't have thought I was important to him; I'm just a little pink piece of squish to him. It had to be because I had been around him of late and the first to check on him each time he woke like that. That had to be it. It was his subconscious adding me in to his dream because of his current situation of being cooped up with Autobots in the med bay. Right?

He slowly sat back up with a sullen look on his face. "Can you fix it?"

"I'll try." I grabbed my wireless Teletraan 1 and started to look up how to knock him out so he wouldn't dream. I didn't want to spend another moment standing there under his gaze.

"You should have said something earlier. I could have easily put you in a induced deep recharge." Ratchet said from where he leaned on the med bay door.

I spun around at hearing his voice, my eyes wide in horror. Oh, god. Please say he didn't hear Skywarp say I was in his dreams. "Ratchet! How long have you been there?"

"When did the dreams start, Skywarp?"

He growled at me. "I thought you said he was recharge!"

I looked back to the angry Decepticon, putting my hands in the air. "He was! He said he wouldn't be in until later!"

He snarled at Ratchet. "It's none of your business, Autobot!"

"Too bad. Your body needs a lot of recharge time right now, and if this is why you jump out of your armor so much, then it is my business." The grouchy medic walked over to us and started to adjust the main monitor. "When did the dreams start?"

The med bay was silent as Skywarp glared daggers at Ratchet, who in turn put his hands on his hips and gave him the best 'I'm waiting' look. The Seeker's glare faded and he gave a resigned sigh. "Since the temple."

"After the explosion?"

Skywarp lay back onto the table and scowled at the ceiling. "No. When I got hit with lightning… they started after that."

"All right, I'll run a system scan to make sure you didn't burn out anything in your subprocessors and then I'll set up a program that will induce a deep recharge." Ratchet turned to look at me. "Now, what was it about his spark?"

Oh no. _He did hear it._

I sighed and pointed at the Seeker's chest. "Its oscillation is rapid and odd… a cadence of three, four, three, five, three. And his spark is dark blue. Is that normal?"

Ratchet had flipped open one of the repaired panels in Skywarp's chest. The Seeker didn't like the intrusion and tried to pull away from the medic's examination until Ratchet put a strong hand on the Seeker's shoulder and held him down. "It's normal. Sparks can come in an array of colors. I've even seen a mech whose spark was pulsing between two different hues." His optics narrowed as he examined the Seeker. "Hmmm, his oscillation rate has changed from the last time we were working on him."

"Is it serious?" I stood on tiptoes to get a glimpse of the monitor on the other side of Skywarp's body.

"I don't believe so, but I'm going to monitor it now for other changes." Ratchet attached another cable to a port on Skywarp's side and programmed the monitor to record his spark rhythm. Once the monitor started to beep and record the pulse rate, Ratchet turned to look at the Seeker. "Right before I stumbled into your spark-to-spark chat, Wheeljack contacted me to say that he believes it would be a wiser choice to rebuild your Protoform armor and let you scan a new alternate form than try to rebuild what was left of your wings."

I stepped away from Skywarp quickly the moment Ratchet mentioned his wings. I had no desire for a repeat performance with the Seeker and his rage over his wings. Luckily, Skywarp stayed calm while Ratchet explained what they were going to do to repair his body.

"If this is acceptable to you, Skywarp, as we finish repairs Wheeljack will build and install new Protoform armor for you."

There was a sullen huff from the prone Seeker. "Does that mean I'll be able to leave sooner?"

The grumpy medic nodded to him. "Much sooner. We still need to rebuild the armature for your legs and create Protoform material for your back, but I'm satisfied that the repairs to your internal systems are coming along well. I'm going to continue to monitor your systems until we've completed work on your Protoform. I know many here wish that you would fall out of the sky in a fiery ball of slag, and are probably plotting to attempt to kill you the moment you set foot off of base, but I will have at least given you a fighting chance to survive it."

Skywarp stared at the ceiling, a disgusted frown plastered across his face. Ratchet shrugged and turned to me. "Jetfire is coming in to ask you for more help on the information brought back from the pyramids."

I nodded, picking up the wireless Teletraan 1 and slowly making my way down the ramp. I stopped at the bottom and looked up at the grumpy medic. "Ratchet? You won't tell anyone, will you?"

Bright blue optics shifted over to me. "Tell anyone what."

"About Skywarp's nightmares… I promised him I wouldn't tell anyone when we thought you were still in recharge…"

He turned back to the monitors. "Don't know what you're talking about. All I heard was that his spark rhythm was off."

I smiled. "Thanks, Ratchet."

He shook his head and started to organize some of his tools.

I walked over to my desk and started to pull up the files of the scans I took from the pyramid. With the excitement of taking care of the snarky Seeker, Jetfire and I hadn't had a chance to go over what I had gathered from the Pyramid of the Sun.

I looked over at the table that Skywarp was on, everything over the past few weeks had been on hold because of the Seeker, including my life. I couldn't help the frown and sigh that betrayed how I felt, it hurt that Jazz walked out and wouldn't talk to me. It hurt worse when I worried that he didn't trust me anymore because of the Seeker being in the med bay. It was all so stupid on one level, but that didn't stop the fear and the pain. And now, ironically enough, I was spending more time in the med bay. Not to be around Skywarp, but to be with Ratchet and Wheeljack. They appreciated my help and didn't ask any uncomfortable questions as to why I was here or why Jazz hadn't come in to see me lately. And I wasn't exactly sure how to answer if they did ask. How do you say you're not sure what's going on and you're afraid that the one you love more than anything has dumped you? I could feel my throat tighten and tears trying to overwhelm my eyes.

Skywarp sat up and watched Ratchet put his tools away; he looked positively bored out of his mind.

I watched the Seeker for a moment. It was because of him that Jazz and I fought. For some odd reason Jazz accused me of being too friendly to the Decepticon. And now that I think about it, especially in the context of our conversation over his nightmares, maybe I had been too friendly to Skywarp.

He turned and looked at me, his optics narrowing slightly. I stared at him for a minute as hot tears clouded my vision. The awful thought of wishing he had been destroyed in the explosion just so Jazz and I hadn't fought at all crossed my mind and I felt sick. The tears broke from my eyes and looked away, the sick feeling filling my stomach. How could I think such a horrible thing? Being the troublemaker he is and causing Jazz and I to fight did not warrant me wishing he were dead. Even if he was a Decepticon.

A loud and annoyed sigh came from Skywarp as he turned his attention back to Ratchet. "Why did you bother, anyways?"

"Hmm?" Ratchet turned around and looked at the Seeker.

"Why did you even bother to help me? I've sent my share of mechs in here for repairs…why are you wasting your time to fix me up when we both know that once I'm out of here I'll go back to sending more wounded mechs to you?"

Bright blue optics narrowed as Ratchet regarded the Seeker. Moments passed before he shook his head and went back to putting tools away. "There have been too many deaths in this war and if I can save a life, doesn't matter if it's Autobot or Decepticon, then I've done my job."

Skywarp crossed his arms over what was left of his cockpit and didn't say anything else. Maybe Ratchet's words would sink in and have an effect of the snarky Seeker, but I doubted that would happen. It would have been amazing if it made the mech think about the numerous loses in the war and consider his position, but I had no hope that it would sink in farther than the metal membrane covering his audio receptors.

--

"'_At the end of time…the greatest twelve must come together and fight…the keys lie within and the guide awaits those who seek…if they should fail…the stars shall spin fast and the great eye of chaos will open and turn all lands into ash… the twelve must prevail over chaos.'_" The gentle scientist reread the script that we had found initially on the pyramid.

I glanced up at Jetfire. "What do you think it means?"

He turned to peer at the scowling Seeker who glared daggers at our backs. Ratchet and Wheeljack had just left after taking measurements for rebuilding his Protoform. "Feel like helping us with the mystery, Skywarp?"

There was a loud snort. "No."

Jetfire looked at me with a shrug. "Looks like we're on our own."

We had pushed a table over to Ratchet's Teletraan 1 console to sit on while we worked and entered all the data we gathered from the pyramids. I stared at the strange line of text and mused aloud. "'End of time' could be the long count calendar's doomsday date…"

Jetfire pulled up the information about the long count calendar. "Which the Meso-Americans and many humans today believe will happen on December 21, 2012, approximately four Earth years from now."

"So… basically it's a prophesy about the end of the world?" I shook my head with a sigh. "Is there any 'the end is nigh' doomsayers on Cybertron?"

"Many believe that this war will only end with the destruction of Cybertron."

The war will end with the destruction of Cybertron? I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest. That sounded like one of the themes in Skywarp's nightmares, but it could have been an unconscious fear that was manifesting in his dream. He had to have heard about the belief the war will only end in the planet's destruction.

"Rachel?"

"Hmm?" I turned to face the icy blue optics of the gentle scientist.

"Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "No. I was just thinking about something." I was obviously seeing a connection only because of the conversation about nightmares with Skywarp. "Every few years there seems to be another 'end of the world' date." I started a new search on the wireless Teletraan 1 to show Jetfire. "Y2K, 2012, October 24 2002, May 5 2000, April 23 1990, December 21 1955… and that's just within the past sixty years. And there are numerous doomsday cults running around."

The gentle scientist tapped his fingers on his lips as he concentrated on the monitor. "Maybe it doesn't mean the end of the world but a start of a new era."

"I guess it could, but what about the 'eye of chaos' turning the lands to ash? Or the stars spinning fast? What if it's a written account of an astronomical event, like a supernova? The other scripts did mention the horizon points that the pyramid lines up with. Maybe they saw something else in the skies besides the sun when the pyramid was aligned with the horizon." I looked up at Jetfire.

"Hmm, there was a star chart on the crystal. Lets see if there is any discrepancies between that chart and what we can observe now." He brought up the images of the crystal facet with the flattened star chart and started to create a second chart of the skies using Sky spy's sensors. He contemplated the chart from the crystal and pointed at the center of it. "I find it strange that this chart has 144 systems that seem to converge on a specific point in space. There could be something in that location that the text refers to."

The image on the screen looked like a bunch of scattered ants to me. "So where is Earth on the chart?"

Jetfire pointed at a star on the lower half of the chart. "The Sol system is here in this quadrant.

"And Cybertron?"

He pointed at a spot on the upper half of the chart. "Cybertron is up in this quadrant."

I squinted at the two dots and wished I knew a little more about astronomy than just the names of stars and constellations. At least the math behind the science made sense. "Is it just me, or are Earth and Cybertron equidistant between each other and that point in the middle?"

Lines were drawn on the chart and we now stared at a perfect triangle. "So it's possible that there is something at that spot in space." I looked up at Jetfire. "Could some astronomical occurrence from that location affect here and Cybertron?"

"Unlikely at that distance. A supernova might be picked up by one of your satellite telescopes if it were watching that part of the sky. But I cannot think of an occurrence that would affect either planet that could come from that point in space."

"Massive black hole?"

Icy blue optics turned to look at me. "We would have picked up the x-ray emissions from a black hole that large by now."

I made a 'blah' noise. "Looks like we're back to square one."

"Not entirely. We've established a connection between that point in space and our two planets. And we've only started to examine the information we gathered from the pyramids." Jetfire smiled at me. "Let's take a look at what you were able to scan from the Pyramid of the Sun while we wait for Sky spy to create a current chart, maybe there is an answer to our questions there."

I accessed the files from my wireless Teletraan 1 and posted them on the main screen for Jetfire to see. Zooming into the first scan, I pointed out the part of the pyramid I located them on. "Every third step had the Cybertronian script. I haven't had the chance to decipher the glyphs, but there were pictograms depicting Quetzalcóatl at the start of each step."

The gentle scientist tilted his head slightly as he pointed to the steps on the screen. _"Quetzalcóatl fell from the heavens… the people of the maize washed his wounds and put fresh leaves on his skin… the stone from heaven was given to the people to protect until the twelve are born… the three that are one will seek first… the others that seek will follow… the twelve must triumph over the chaos bringer… if they fail the stars will spin fast and he will turn all lands to ash… Quetzalcóatl waits for the twelve to guide… our brothers from the red star hold the key…"_

"So Quetzalcóatl is the guide mentioned in both texts and there is more about the 'twelve'." I looked back up at Jetfire who was now frowning. "What is it?"

"The Chaos Bringer is another name for the Unmaker of Creation." He crossed his arms over his cockpit and turned to look at me. "Is there a similar reference in Earth cultures to a being of chaos?"

"I'm not versed in any religion, but there is satan in Christianity. There are probably more…"

His attention turned back to the monitor. "The 'stone of heaven' must have been the crystal."

"'People of the maize' would be the inhabitants of the city. I'm sure I read somewhere that they believed that they were created from maize." I leaned back on my hands and kicked my legs off the table. "Okay, so Quetzalcóatl was hurt when he came to Earth and the inhabitants of Teotihuacán took care of him, he entrusted the crystal to them until 'the twelve' were born…"

Jetfire continued where I left off. "'The three that are one will seek first', could be part of the 'twelve' and the 'others that seek' could mean the nine others."

"They have to win against 'the chaos bringer, if they fail the stars will spin fast'… that sounds like more of the end of the world prophesy… and 'our brothers from the red star' have a 'key'. Hmmm… our brothers from a red star…"

Icy optics looked at me thoughtfully. "Brothers could mean others of your race."

I started to tap my fingers on the table as I racked my brain. "There were a lot of other cities and civilizations around that time and somewhat near the area. But 'the red star'? I can't think of anything that I've read about the area or people that mentioned a red star."

Jetfire flicked back to the file with the star chart. "An another astronomical reference, then? Aliens with a humanoid appearance from a system with a red star."

"But the night sky is full of red stars. Which one would it be talking about? And would this be something Quetzalcóatl said to them or did they meet their 'brothers'? And-" I sat up straight on the table as the answer popped into my head. "Or maybe it's not a real star but something that looks like a star!"

"Like?"

"A planet." I grinned up at the icy blue optics focused on me. "If Quetzalcóatl is an alien from another galaxy, he might see Earthlings and beings from elsewhere in the solar system as 'brothers'. And Mars could be mistaken for a star because it's reddish in color."

"But there are no life forms anywhere else in this system, Rachel."

"No, but there could have been at one point. Just because there isn't any right now doesn't mean there wasn't one at the time when this was written." I wasn't going to be deterred. It took millions of years for evolution on Earth, but that didn't mean it took that long elsewhere.

The gentle scientists smiled at me. "It's a possibility. But there were life signs only on Earth when I first came here to explore."

I was nearly bouncing off the table. "But that was seven million years ago, right? Is it impossible for a civilization to live and die out in seven million years? All we'd have to do is go and explore the planet."

"As I said, Rachel. It's a possibility. Unfortunately, we would need more information, like the harmonic radiation signal, before we could plan an exploration mission there. As much as I'd love to return to exploring new worlds, I don't have the luxury of time to do so. I am needed here to keep the Earth safe with the rest of the Autobots."

I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest with a sigh. He was right, of course. As interesting and exciting as this was, we couldn't just drop our responsibilities and run off to Mars. And as much as I would love to go visit another world, especially Cybertron, it wasn't feasible without Jetfire. "Your scanner can't detect a signal from here?"

"There is too much interference from the," The gentle scientist gave me a knowing look that I caught quickly. We couldn't risk letting Skywarp know about the Allspark. "Other 'source' for the scanner to register."

I nodded and was going to concede to his reasoning, but I couldn't help throw in a little teaser. "We could always check out all the information being sent back to Earth by the Mars Rovers _Spirit_ and _Opportunity_. They might have picked up a signal."

My response came as a smile from the gentle scientist. "Maybe if things calm down we can plan a mission to explore, but as I said it will it have to wait. I will though look up the Mars Rovers and see what has been found."

"You have no reason to go and you two should stop meddling in things that don't concern you." Skywarp growled at us from across the room.

We both turned around simultaneously to look at the sullen Seeker. "Have you decided to help us now, Skywarp?"

"Slag, no." He crossed his arms over his cockpit. "But I'll be fragged if I let you get there first. You don't even know what you are looking for."

Icy blue optics regarded the Seeker. "And you know what to look for?"

Skywarp just huffed at us. "It belongs to us."

"I'm curious as to how this belongs to you, would you like to explain it to me?" Jetfire looked slightly amused as he smiled at the ruffled Seeker.

Skywarp's crimson optics flashed angrily as he growled at us. "It just does and you should keep out of our business!"

I looked back and forth between the text on the screen and Skywarp as a strange thought came to mind. That couldn't mean… "Jetfire?"

The gentle scientist looked down at me, "Yes, Rachel?"

"This might be the dumbest idea, but what if the texts mean specific… people?" I motioned with just my eyes to Skywarp. "Those who 'seek' could be…"

The smile spread across Jetfire's faceplate. "As in a 'Seeker'."

"And the 'three that are one' could be-" I pointed to Skywarp who's optics were barely slits of blood red fury.

"Their trine." The gentle scientist turned his smile on the Seeker.

"Or the bond between them." I looked up at Jetfire. "They aren't just a trine."

"A bond from being Decepticons?" He tilted his head to look between the furious Seeker and me.

Skywarp scowled at me as I looked at him. "I was thinking more along the lines of the bond of them being friends."

I received a strange look for that. "Friends?" Jetfire shifted his gaze back to Skywarp. "Even after all these eons, you three still are-" He was cut off suddenly as the alarms sounded. The Decepticons were attacking oil tankers out on the coast and he was called to report to the front of the Ark.

Ratchet entered the med bay from his office as Jetfire stood up. "We'll continue this discussion later, Rachel."

I nodded to him as he left and noticed that Ratchet was not collecting his field tools. He wasn't going with the strike force, which meant he was going to watch them leave. It was a tradition of his to watch the group leave on every mission that he wasn't accompanying them on. He believed that if he watched them leave in one piece and alive, then they'd come back alive even if they were in pieces.

I felt my throat tighten. I always told Jazz every time he left for a mission or a battle that I'd put him back together no matter what, he just had to come back to me alive.

The grouchy medic stood at the doors to the med bay and looked at me expectantly. "Hurry up and get over here or we'll miss them."

I bit my lip; the myriad of fears of Jazz not wanting to see me was overwhelming. There was a gnawing pit opening inside my stomach and I could feel tears forming in my eyes. I looked away. "I don't think I should go, Ratchet."

His hands were on his hips and I got an annoyed glare. "And why not?"

The first tears started to spill. "I- I don't think he wants me to be there…"

"What the slag are you going on about?" I didn't have to look up to know the look I was getting from the medic.

"I don't think Jazz wants to see me, Ratchet." My voice broke and I hung my head.

"Nonsense. Now hurry up and get over here."

"Ratchet…"

He crossed the room quickly and I was unceremoniously picked up and carried out of the med bay. I squawked at being grabbed by his massive white hands. "Ratchet!"

"Oh, hush, Rachel. He wants to see you and you want to see him. You two need to stop acting like spoiled sparklings and get over yourselves."

I sniffled and my voice wavered. "But Ratchet-"

"Don't 'but Ratchet' me. You're going to watch them leave with me, Rachel, and that's final." He put me down in the middle of the hallway a few feet from the entrance.

Nodding, I hung my head. "Yes, sir."

I could hear the smirk in his voice and I wished I had something to throw at him as we walked the last few steps to the entrance. "I'm glad you've decided to see things my way."

There were mechs lining up to listen to Prowl's battle plan and Jetfire was already in his shuttle form as we left the protective hologram cloak of the Ark and stood outside. I looked over the group until I saw him; he was organizing the mechs, getting them into Jetfire's cargo bay and making sure they had their instructions. Jazz turned to look back at us and I hid behind Ratchet's leg. The grumpy medic growled at me. "Rachel. He's looking over here for you."

I started to cry in earnest. "He- he doesn't tr- trust me anymore, Ratchet! He's m- mad that I'm in the med bay with Skywarp even though it's my j- job to help take care of him! He's n- never gotten mad about me wo- working in there before and I don't know why he got s- so angry at me about it and he l- left and turned off his comlink when I tried to ta- talk to him! And- and I don't th- think he loves me anymore…"

"Is this why you've been avoiding everyone?"

I managed a small sniffled 'yes'.

Ratchet sighed loudly and ran his hand down his face. "Rachel. Most of the Ark is unhappy Skywarp is here and they're worried about our safety with him around no matter how many times I tell them he's disarmed and his teleportation programming is offline. So Jazz made an aft out of himself and acted like a sparkling by running off. I'm sure he still trusts you and still loves you. He's just worried about you and he's **still** looking over here."

I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "But… I've never seen him so mad before…"

"He's worked up over Skywarp. I'd bet that he's jealous that Skywarp has seen more of you lately than he has. He's been gone for how many days since I brought that pain in the aft back? He's probably worried that you might start to trust anything Skywarp says." Ratchet looked over his shoulder at me. "They're about to leave. Are you going to stay hidden behind me or are you going to say good-bye to him? And do you really want him to leave for a battle without clearing this up? You never know, he might not make it back in one piece."

My breath caught in my throat and that horrible cold fist clutched my stomach. _What if he doesn't come back alive? _

I stepped out from behind Ratchet just in time to see Jazz board Jetfire. I had missed my chance to say good-bye…

Tears poured down my cheeks as the ramp to Jetfire's cargo bay started to retract and I choked back a painful sob. _Please let him be okay._

As if he heard me, Jazz turned back to look and I stared into his azure visor. I took a few steps forwards, I wanted to run to him and hug him just so I could listen to his spark beat once more and tell him how much I loved him…

He gripped the side of the door suddenly and it seemed like he wanted to jump out of the cargo bay, but the doors started to close and a panicked look crossed his faceplate. He pointed to himself, drew a heart in the air with his fingers and then pointed to me.

I managed a teary smile for him and mouthed 'I love you' as the doors to Jetfire's cargo bay shut and the Veritech fighter took off in the air. I watched until they disappeared over the horizon and the vapor trail dispersed into the ether, tears rolling down my cheeks. I turned around only to see Ratchet smiling down at me. It was too much and I ran to him, throwing my arms around his leg and sobbing hysterically. "He- He's going to be all right? Won't he, R- Ratchet?"

There was a large white hand patting my back. "He'll be just fine, Rachel."

--

The fading light from Cybertron's blue sun danced across his sleek form as he flew high above Iacon. The lights that flickered on as night descended on the city were beautiful to watch, but it was the feeling of the cool crisp air against his wings that eased Thundercracker into a state of relaxing bliss. Skirting the stratosphere, he tried to empty his mind of the week's events.

His capture by the Autobots had been amusing if not strange. Their poor attempts to grill him for information about why he was there were laughable. He was going to get what was behind that door, no matter what they did to try and thwart him. In fact, their insistence that he stay away from the Library to respect those who had died there gave him the distinct impression that even they didn't know what was behind it.

Thundercracker let a twitch of annoyance flitter off his wings. He needed to bring Starscream and Skywarp back with him to try and open the door. If the keypad couldn't be hacked into, then maybe it could be breached by Skywarp's teleportation. That is if he could get a hold of the others.

Which brought the Seeker back to the reason why he was streaking across the midnight blue skies. There had been no response from any of his attempts to contact them, and asking Megatron where Starscream was only resulted in the monitor being turned off. And to top if off, with the control room full of the first wave of recruits to be sent to Earth, Shockwave informed him that the Space Bridge was malfunctioning and needed to be repaired. He had glared at the one-optic freak knowing something was up; Shockwave was the only being in the room when he had entered with the group of recruits and there was no one in there working on repairs.

Another annoyed twitch made his wings tense and ruined his relaxing flight. Thundercracker scowled. All he wanted was some peace and quiet away from the Decepticons, Autobots and the war. Just a few cycles without having to put up his defenses and be on constant alert for an attack, but it looked like his mind wasn't going to allow him the simple pleasure to enjoy a solitary flight.

He was about to give up completely and return to headquarters when he realized he was no longer over Iacon but a small Neutral outpost. Maybe his time hadn't been wasted completely. It was a decent sized area for a Neutral town and Thundercracker landed gracefully on one of the larger streets on the outpost. Mechs that had been traveling on the street suddenly gave him a wide berth, eyeing him suspiciously. The Seeker subspaced his weapons, there would be no need for them here and if he was going to try what he wanted to do he needed to look as innocuous as possible.

He let his optics roam over the street before landing on just the thing he was looking for. Walking towards the building, he kept his optics low and didn't meet anyone's gaze; he didn't want to stir up any trouble for the inhabitants. He stopped in front of the door to the building and listened to the noises coming from inside. Had he done this before the war he wouldn't have felt so uneasy, but now with whom he is and where he was made his fuel pump feel like it was going to burst from his chest. Thundercracker pushed the door open and walked inside, his optics adjusting to the light in the bar. It was busy with mechs who were relaxing after long workdays and groups of people who came out for social drinks and company with friends. A young femme came up to him with a wide smile…until she saw the Decepticon emblem on his wings. He could feel the fear coming from her and see it in her optics. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.

Thundercracker looked at the floor and took a step towards her. "Listen, I'm not here to cause trouble… I just want a quiet corner to sit in and a few cubes of high grade. I won't bother anyone."

She nodded and some of her smile returned, but he could still feel her apprehension. The femme motioned for him to follow her and Thundercracker kept his optics down as she led him to a spot at the back of the bar. There were a few worried glances in his direction, but he didn't meet them. Instead he rested his arms on the table and stared at his hands. The femme was back quickly leaving a shimmering cube of high grade on the table for him and disappearing just as quickly. He sipped at the cube and let his mind wander.

He was halfway through his cube when he felt more at ease in the place and there were fewer people looking over at him. He frowned into his cube and set it to one side as thoughts about the last few days' events pressed on his mind again. Giving up on having a peaceful moment, the Seeker pulled the star-shaped prism out of his subspace and started to examine it. It was cut from the purest crystal and the light from the bar sent fiery sparks across the table. He lifted it up to the light and peered into the center of the prism, something about it set off the radiation scanner. They had never found anything with the signature this small before and he felt his spark sink as he wondered if the 'other' signatures not on the data pad were also this size.

He set the prism down on the table and pulled the beat up data pad from his subspace. _The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight_ spilled across the screen when he activated the text. He had read through the text so many times that he could repeat it word for word in recharge, but maybe there was something about the other signatures and the prism on the data pad that he had missed.

The text was an interview taken by a writer who believed that chronicling the Seeker's story would insure his fame, unfortunately for him the story of the Seekers lived on and he passed into oblivion.

Thundercracker accessed the chapter on the technology brought back to Cybertron by Storm Flight and carefully reread the contents. If there was anything about smaller artifacts it should be mentioned in here.

_--_

Seeker Technology

The following conversations with Storm Flight were the most difficult to obtain. Already known for his unstable mind, it was during this time when questioned about the alien technology he had brought back to Cybertron that he became belligerent and rambled incoherently. It took hours of careful questioning to finally achieve a conversation worth recording.

Can you explain the technology you brought back to Cybertron?

_Slag. You use most of it every day. Your subspace pockets? We were the ones who brought back the knowledge of tesseracts. Supersonic transport? If we hadn't found that early on, we wouldn't be here having this conversation. That was on one of the larger crystal artifacts. Shadowstar's main processors nearly blew as she tried to decipher the hieroglyphic designs for the engines. The Space Bridges? I'm sure you've used one to travel to Rigilas or Coeliaxis. We found one on the outer edges of Pralex-12. But the artifact that gave us the plans for energy-based weapons was the best by far. _(Author's note: it was at this point that Storm Flight pulled his two energon blades and started to swing them around.)

Can you tell me about how the Seekers were able to collect the alien technology?

_Well, Kestral certainly didn't know where to look and he had the scanner. So it was staying sharp and watching for the signs. We never would have found half the stuff if it wasn't for the signs. Once we found a signal it became a fight to get to the stuff before the others did. Kestral said there was more out there and keys to find it, but we didn't have time to gather it all. I wish we had more time, would have been so much easier. If we had found more of them then Cybertron would still have its Seekers and the best of the best in the universe would have a happily ever after existence._

You mentioned 'signs' and 'signals', what are they exactly?

_Same thing. Kestral and Halo called it harmonizing radiation… they said it was given off by stellar matter from when Primus created the universe. Kestral said the artifacts and keys were made shortly after the universe came into being._

So these artifacts carried the technology?

_Some of them did. Some just had meaningless slag written all over them. Some had maps and clues to the next artifact or gate or directions to find Kestral. Some of the artifacts you had to figure out what was written on them. Shadowstar was the expert on languages and stuff and most of it drove her mad just trying to read it. She finally realized that you had to activate some of the artifacts or find the key to decipher it. Kestral said there was more out there in space somewhere just waiting for us to find it. If we had time to find more of it, Cybertron could have jumped light-years ahead in technology. We would have been powerful enough military wise to fight off any alien invasion, kept our people from suffering from any illness, learned how to create new energy sources…The Seekers would have brought a new golden age to Cybertron and its people. Kestral said all we had to do was find it. Heh. Easier said than done. Unfortunately, it's probably all been moved from where it was, he said he was going to move it to make sure the aliens couldn't use it to better themselves. Kestral said that the universe didn't need them to become more powerful than they already are._

Kestral wasn't one of the twelve?

_No, Kestral was our guide. Some guide he was, though. Didn't know what we were supposed to find most of the time. He came to Cybertron to gather us for the upcoming battles. He only told us what we were going up against after we had left, fraggin' alien freak. He needed the best Cybertron had to offer, the best warriors and scientists of the age. So the best of the best were chosen and we became the Seekers…_

--

He stopped reading and looked at the prism again with a sigh. It could be one of the artifacts, but there was nothing on it that gave any clue. There was no map, no glyphs, no indication of just what it was. He propped his head up with his chin in one hand and lifted the crystal up to the light again. There had to be something he was missing. The Seeker slowly twisted the flawless crystal around in his fingers, the light hitting it creating a brilliant spectrum that fell on the table.

Thundercracker lifted the cube of energon in his other hand and took a long swig of the iridescent liquid, his optics never leaving the star-shaped prism. As he lowered the cube, the light spectrum from the crystal hit the energon and drew his attention away from the prism. There was something peculiar about the way the light hit the liquid energy. Holding both cube and prism up to the light, he tried to recreate the effect. He slowly turned both objects around in his hands until he noticed a curious shadow from the prism was cast on the swirling energon. He held the cube in front of the prism, letting the light from the bar highlight the energon as he looked into the crystal. There was something _inside_ the prism. He peered into it trying to get a better look, his optics narrowing to blood red slits while he moved the cube around, but he couldn't see anything but a faint shadow.

He set the prism on the table and took another drink from the cube. The Seeker named Shadowstar had found that some of the artifacts had to be activated with an energy source… Thundercracker looked at his nearly empty energon cube and shrugged. It was worth a try. He carefully tipped the cube and poured the viscous liquid over the top of the prism. He lifted the cube back up and stared at the energon-covered prism: all he saw was a puddle of the iridescent liquid sticking to the crystal and spreading over the table. He sighed. Well, it was worth a try.

The Seeker pulled a cloth out of his subspace to clean up the mess and picked up the crystal. Holding the prism back up to the light to wipe it off, he saw the iridescent energon seeping into the star-shaped crystal. Thundercracker watched intently as the liquid energy filled unseen channels in the prism. He picked up the energon cube and poured the last dregs of his drink over the top of the crystal. More details slowly revealed themselves to the rapt Seeker. Each shimmering facet held a different symbol including a faint script that was etched over the top of the prism. A small smile crossed his faceplate and he mused aloud, _"The answers to the question lie within."_

He had found a key.

--

They had been gone for hours and as each minute slowly ticked by I grew more panicked and felt my sanity slipping away. Why weren't they back yet?

I had tried to work on the information from the pyramids, but I couldn't really focus on it. I ended up reading and rereading the same parts over and over again as my mind drifted off in worried tangents. I had finally given up and pulled out the weekly inventory lists, hopeful that some mindless work would make time pass at a normal rate. But after completing the entire bottom shelf that held the bins with assorted bolts, I was dismayed to find that only an hour had passed with no news about the battle.

I uploaded the data pad into Teletraan 1 and started on the shelves on the opposite end of the med bay. I had been out of the bored Seeker's sight for most of my busy work, but now I was on his side of the room and I could feel his optics on my back as I worked. I didn't want to talk to him or give him the chance to talk to me, so I tried to find my mp3 player in hopes that I could try and zone out to some music, until I realized Jazz still had it. I turned the stereo on instead and cranked the sound up. Hopefully he'd get annoyed enough that he'd just go into recharge. Ratchet came out shortly after he finished his paperwork to help me work on inventory and we talked about repairs and bringing in new equipment and that kept my mind busy.

Finally, Teletraan 1 beeped and Prowl's visage appeared on the screen: They were heading back and there were a few injured mechs but nothing serious.

It felt like a giant weight had fallen off my shoulders and Ratchet smiled at me. "Told you that he'd be okay."

I grinned back at him and we started to prepare the med bay for the incoming injuries. But we weren't prepared for the mechs that came through the door and Ratchet's meticulously clean med bay turned into a giant oil slick in a matter of minutes. Jazz was nowhere to be seen among the tired and dirty mechs, which left me relieved and antsy to see him at the same time. In the mean time, I started to work on Bluestreak; the poor gunner had wrenched his knee in the fight. He was an oily half asleep mess on the table and he barely moved as I tried to sop the thick goo from his joint so I could at least see what I was doing.

I had finally found something to focus on so it was no wonder that I didn't pay attention to the doors opening and closing as mechs entered and left the med bay, and I was caught completely off guard as a set of black hands swooped in and plucked me from where I stood on the table. I squeaked in protest until I felt his lips press a kiss on the top of my head. I looked up quickly to see his perfect disarming smile and the hint of mischief glittering in his azure visor. Smiling back at him, I held my arms out and he pulled me close, letting me rest my head on his warm armor. Finally being able to listen to the familiar and comforting beat of his spark, I shut my eyes and whispered softly to him. "I'm so sorry, Jazz. I was so scared that you didn't trust me and I lost you…"

He pressed his lips against my head again as he tightened his hold on me. "I'm the one who needs t' apologize, Rach. I'm sorry for arguing wit' y'. I know y're jus' doin' y're job and it was unfair for me t' yell at y' like that. Will y' forgive me?"

I lifted my head up and smiled at him, tears of happiness filling my eyes. Reaching up and touching his face with my hand, I leaned in and brushed my lips against his. "There is nothing to forgive, Jazz."

--

Like it? Hate it? Please let me know!


	10. Chapter 10 Awakenings

A/N: _Sorry this chapter took so long. I needed to rewrite a few parts because I didn't like them and a couple small details eluded me enough to keep me from getting a lot of work done._

Synopsis! _We have fluff. And not just cute fluff. We witness an internal dialogue of Rachel's after she has a little flash back moment, and is that a little wishful thinking? Then we find out that life on Earth could get very bad in just a handful of days. Skywarp's latest dream hints at things that might have happened if life had been different before it turns into his worst nightmare yet. Starscream arrives back on Nemesis only to get verbally slapped around by Megatron, who enjoys playing on one of the red Seeker's greatest fears... and we find out that Megatron is the worst kind of evil bastard and things from previous chapters start to fall into place._

_Italics_ are used for internal diagloue, flash backs, dream/nightmares, and words that are strongly emphasized.

Constructive criticism is always welcomed, reviews given much love and I hope you enjoy the story!

Story Arc 6

**Chapter 10 - Awakenings**

Time stood still. The universe stopped its eternal dance. The world was a million miles away. The war didn't exist anymore. The med bay where we had stood disappeared into the ether. Life as we knew it consisted of just us. My heart beat only for him - his spark pulsed only for me.

With his fingers, he gently tilted my head up to meet his gaze and I stared into his azure visor. The perfect smile I received from him radiated his love and assurance that we would never be separated from each other; no matter the distance, no matter the circumstances, there was a bond between us that nothing could ever come between. Not even death.

I caressed his face tenderly, the warm soft metal of his faceplate pulling back into a wider smile. My smile grew as well, my eyes drinking in the bright azure glow from his visor and every angle of his face, carefully etching every detail in my mind. Words were unnecessary, we were communicating only through touch and expression. I could feel the strength behind his other hand that held me close to his hood, firm enough to reassure me that he would never let me go, yet gentle enough to not hurt me. I traced along his chin with the back of my hand, enjoying the reaction I received from him in the form of his spreading smile. Our souls touched for the briefest of moments. He was complete, I was complete, and nothing else mattered anymore.

"Do y' think we can go somewhere and talk for a bit, Rach?" His voice was soft and musical.

I nodded, still smiling. "Let me finish Blue's knee," I turned my head slightly to see the gunner now fully in recharge. "This will just take me a few more minutes so you'll have time to go clean up. Where do you want to go?"

"Meet at my room?"

I hugged Jazz and I pressed my ear to his chest just to hear the sound of his beautiful spark, my arms barely reaching across his hood. "I'll be there shortly."

He kissed the top of my head again before setting me back down on the table next to Bluestreak. I watched him leave the med bay, his steps light and jaunty and I couldn't help but smile fondly at him before I turned back to my work.

Ten minutes later, I was done and wiping the thick grungy oil off of my hands. One look at my clothes told me that I needed a shower before I went to meet Jazz. So leaving Bluestreak asleep on the table and checking with Ratchet if I could be excused, I raced out of the med bay and ran to my room. I jumped through the shower and washed all the oily grime off and I got dressed quickly, glancing at the mirror to check that I looked all right. I walked down the hallway to Jazz's room running my comb through my damp hair; I hoped I hadn't kept him waiting for too long.

Jazz wasn't outside his room so I knocked on his door. I had the key code to his room, but I felt it was slightly rude to just barge in without knocking first. There was no answer and I knocked again. "Jazz?" Maybe he wasn't back from the wash racks yet. I tapped the pass code into the door panel and the thick orange titanium door opened with a soft 'swish' noise. The light from inside his room was very dim and his stereo was off, quite unnatural for Jazz. Unless he was going out for a mission or had a long shift, the music was always playing. Might as well turn his stereo on and wait for him to return, I thought as I stepped into the darkened room. As the door cut off the light from the hallway abruptly, I saw a familiar azure glitter to my side. Why hadn't he answered me? "Jazz? Are you okay?" I squinted in the dark waiting for my eyes to accustom to the dim light and checked his body over. I stifled a small laugh at seeing the weary rhythm of his systems.

A barely touched energon cube was held in his slack hand and he was slumped over sitting on a corner of his recharge berth. It looked like he had barely sat down and slipped into recharge. He looked so peaceful as he slept. I stood there just watching his whitish-blue spark pulsing as he rested; it had been a long and physically tiring day for him and the others; I was tired as well, but more from mental exhaustion than anything else.

We could talk tomorrow, he needed to rest for now and I just couldn't bring myself to wake him with as peaceful as he looked. I decided to leave him a note to say that I didn't forget about him wanting to talk and to give him the time of my shift in the morning. I quietly walked over to his oversized desk; I was never going to get used to literally giant furniture. Getting down from tables and chairs and whatnot was the easy part… it was getting _up_ to them that was the real challenge. I looked at the seat of the chair that was twice my height and saw a neatly folded stack of the enormous towels that were used for drying off after a trip through the wash racks. I also saw some damp towels draped over the back of the chair and I couldn't help but giggle as I remembered fondly when I dried him off after a rainstorm that we stayed out in…

"_Kinda cloudy tonight."_

_I sat down next to him, "Clouds can be pretty, but the cricket symphony is good too."_

_He laughed and lay back in the grass, "Good enough. But what if it starts t' rain?"_

"_It's just water. Do mechs melt in the rain?" I felt the ground behind me before I lay down next to him. There was the rumble of thunder in the distance that accentuated my question._

"_Nope." I could still hear his disarming smile in his voice. "But there has been rumors of rust."_

_I shut my eyes and listened to the hum of Jazz's systems and the crickets, "You're rust proof because of the nanites. But if you're worried about a little water, I'm sure we can find some towels back at the Ark and I'll help dry you off."_

_He moved his arm next to me and I reached out and put my hand in his, "Hope it does rain then."_

_Lightning spread out above us like electric lace against the clouds. "Looks like you'll get your wish."_

"_Hmm? What wish?"_

"_I can smell the rain." I turned towards his voice. "Does it rain on Cybertron?"_

"_Yeah, but not like this." There was a wistful sound in Jazz's voice. _

_I felt the first cool drops of rain hit my face, "You did promise me that you'd give me the grand tour of Cybertron, Jazz-style. I'm holding you to that promise. I want to experience everything, even alien rain."_

"_I intend t' keep that promise, Rachel." I heard the smile take away the wistful side in his voice. _

_The rain started to come down hard and I was getting splashed from the drops hitting Jazz. I threw my arms out wide and laughed, feeling free and happy as I lay next to him in the grass. "Are you rusting yet?"_

_He laughed, "Can't tell."_

_I sat up and hugged him, resting my head on his arm, "Well when you think the rust is settling in, let me know and we can go back."_

_I felt his hand on my back, holding me close while I hugged him, "Hmm, might be gettin' close. Water in the circuits, y' know."_

"_Good thing you don't have to worry about shorting out in the rain." I smiled and pushed my wet hair out of my face. _

"_Nah, but I might get in trouble if y' catch a cold. Ratchet wouldn't be t' happy wit' me if y' got sick."_

"_You forgot I grew up here. Rainy days are in my blood." I lifted my head to smile at him. "Would Ratchet get mad at me if you caught a cold?"_

"_Maybe…" There was a mischievous hint in his voice. "So we should head back. Just in case I do catch a cold."_

_I stood up and stepped back away from Jazz to give him room to transform. As I heard the pistons and gears move, I tried to wring the water from my hair, which was a vain attempt since the rain was coming down hard now. "You realize your insides are going to get all wet because I'm soaked?"_

"_Y' promised t' dry me off." There was no denying the mischievous glow now in his voice._

_I laughed and I sat down in the front seat. "Are there mech sized towels at the Ark?"_

"_Everyone has a few stashed away. If y' don't grab some when they come in, Sunstreaker will take them all." I could hear him grinning._

_I giggled. "Is there any circuitry I should be worried about getting wet?"_

"_Everything is wet already."_

"_Oh, okay. So… you won't mind if I do this?" I shook my head hard letting my wet hair throw water all over his interior._

"_I take that back, now everything is wet." _

_I laughed again as I pushed my hair out of my face. "Might as well be thorough, you know. 'Do it with style or don't bother doing it.'"_

_When we arrived back at the Ark, we walked down to the dorm hallway leaving a trail of wet and dripping footprints behind us. "Red'll have a fit if he sees us makin' this mess."_

"_Geez, what is it with water and mechs?" I giggled. _

"_You know, I've never been inside your room."_

"_More t' hear than t' see, really." That mischievous glow entered his voice again. I heard the door slide open and we walked into his room. It slipped closed behind us and I stood still listening to him move about._

_He had moved over to one side of the room and I could hear him rummaging around. I tried to squeeze the water out of my hair again. "So is there any good music to dry off to?"_

"_Hmmm lessee here." He moved again and something soft hit the floor, I assumed it was a pile of towels. There were a few clicking noises and then the room was filled with music; there had to be speakers all over the room. He was obviously using my mp3 player as the heavy rhythmic beat from Deep Forest filled the room. _

"_Nothin' on the floor for y' t' trip over but towels, if y' want t' dance."_

_I giggled putting my arms above my head, spinning and weaving along to 'Radio Belize' as I moved towards where I heard him sit down. My leg brushed against something soft and I reached down and pulled a towel that was easily three times my size free of the pile. I shook it out in time to the beat of the song and he laughed as I danced closer to him with the towel. I spun around again right into his hands and he guided me over to his leg. "Y' can start at the bottom." There was an impish tone in his voice._

_I busted up laughing, draping the towel over my arm and did the best maitre'd impression I could, " Shall I use the daily wax or the fancy occasion stuff?"_

"_The fancy stuff, o' course. It's not everyday I get my girl alone in my room."_

I looked back at his recharging form and smiled, feeling my cheeks flush. He _had_ wanted to meet at his room _and_ we were both tired _and_ those towels were big enough to be a blanket _and_ I wouldn't _have_ to leave a message for him _and_ it wasn't like I would be missed if I didn't go back to my room... I tried not to dwell on the idea that popped into my head in case I talked myself out of it. _Think of it this way – I can talk to him in the morning when he wakes up._ _Easier than leaving a silly note, right?_ I had to jump to reach the towels on the chair he had set them on and was able to pull two down for me to use. The towels were big enough to dwarf a king sized bed. I turned around to look at Jazz as butterflies took flight in my stomach_. If you chicken out now, you'll beat yourself up for being silly. It's not that big of a deal to stay in his room._ I took a few steps towards him. His recharge berth was stretched out along one side of the room. _Think of it as an adventure_. Y_ou've never slept in that big of a bed before, Rach_.

I made it to the middle of the room and stopped. Sleeping next to someone was completely new territory for me. Technically it wasn't that big of a deal: I had slept in his arms before when I was sick from the nanite exposure, and I had slept inside of him on the night it rained when we were coming back from our vacation. But that wasn't the same as sleeping _next_ to him in his berth. Not like anything would happen, he probably wouldn't even know I was there. There wasn't even a chance that I'd get squished, but I still couldn't help feeling nervous. Maybe this was too much just yet… I started to lose my backbone and couldn't move further than the middle of the room. I hung my head with a defeatist sigh. I still needed a lot of work on growing a backbone for myself. _Fine. But you're not leaving this room… go sleep in the corner or on the chair. _I acquiesced to my doubt and slunk back across the room. Tossing the towels back on the chair, I quietly climbed into the seat and started to make a bed out of the dry towels. Idly, I wondered where the giant towels came from and if there was a mech laundry room somewhere hidden in the Ark. I sniffed the towel I had folded up for a pillow to see if I could smell any laundry detergent fragrance on them: they smelled like new cars.

I kicked off my shoes and crawled into the make-shift bed with a yawn. At least he'd see me when he woke up and this was still better than leaving a note. Snuggling under the towel, I shivered. My hair was still damp from my shower and it was making my 'pillow' wet and cold.

I rolled onto my side and looked at Jazz's sleeping form. I wish I could fall asleep like that. Just sit down and lights out. But the position he was in didn't look comfortable and he'd probably have kinks in his back and arms from recharging like that.

I tossed around to the other side; even with all these towels and in a temperature regulated room it was still cold. And this chair. How a mech could sit in a chair like this for any length of time was beyond me; even if I had one hundred towel 'blankets' I wouldn't get comfort on here.

I rolled over onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. Maybe I wasn't as tired as I thought I was. I shifted to get comfortable only to sigh again. _One ceiling tile, two ceiling tiles, three ceiling tiles…_

This was ridiculous.

I had become a living example of '_The Princess and the Pea'._

I forced my eyes shut and tired to just listen to his internal systems hum softly from the other side of the room. Maybe if I listen to the calming sound of him in recharge it will help me fall asleep.

I shivered under the towels and stared across the dark room at Jazz; he looked so peaceful over there on his berth, and suddenly I was very jealous that mechs can just initiate a program and fall into recharge. A simple program would allow them to sleep whenever, wherever, all they had to do was access it.

I sighed and shut my eyes again trying to focus on the calm sounds of his internal systems. _You know, maybe hearing them up close and feeling the rhythm of his spark would help_. I opened my eyes again. It did work when I was plagued by the nanite-influenced dreams…

My mind continued its weary tirade. _You have two choices: you can leave an impersonal message for him when he wakes up and you can go back to your room and sleep in your comfortable bed, or you can get off this horribly pain-inducing chair and go curl up next to him where it'll be warm and you can hear him up close. I bet being next to him would put your right to sleep… you do feel safe and secure when you're with him._ Okay, that was it. I gathered up the towel bedding and dropped off the edge of the chair. Shuffling across the floor, I moved towards his recharge berth. I shivered as I stood on the ground and looked up at the ledge; if I were mech sized I wouldn't have this problem of getting up and down furniture.

I stared at the ledge with my armful of towels in my socks and with my cold damp hair hanging limply around my shoulders. _What are you waiting for? It will be so much warmer up there next to him._ But I've never slept next to anyone before. I could feel my checks blush. At least something was warming up. This is so silly. I won't get squished. I'll be safe and warm and get to hear his spark beat… what is so wrong with that?

But…

_There is nothing to worry about. So what if you're nervous, the chances of being squished are nil; Mechs don't move once they're recharging, well most of them don't anyways. So what's the big deal with it? _

_Oh. I get it. Wow, you are really mentally exhausted, aren't you? _

_You're just going to sleep next to him. Even if he woke up, nothing would happen. Or did you forget that you're human and he's an alien mech and stuff like that is virtually impossible? Not to mention that your relationship isn't like that. Stop acting like a silly schoolgirl and get up there where it's warm and you can fall asleep._

I tossed the towels up onto the berth and then crawled my own way up carefully; I didn't want to wake him. Making a nest for me out of the towels, I lay down next to his leg and snuggled into the bed I had made. I was right; it was very stupid to think anything would happen. I could feel the low hum of his systems in recharge and the steady pulse of his spark. I cuddled closer to him and shut my eyes. His armor was delightfully warm and the feeling of being completely safe washed over me. I finally started to drift off into sleep and I wondered how he'd react in the morning to finding me there with him.

_I wonder what this would be like if I wasn't human or he wasn't mech…_

* * *

He felt something brush against his armor and quickly powered up his systems.

Years of being in the war meant being on guard even while in recharge.

Establishing that he was in his room and resting at an odd angle on his recharge berth, he felt something shift against his leg. Jazz turned and found Rachel curled up asleep next to him. He couldn't help but smile as he set the forgotten energon cube on the floor and ever so carefully lifted Rachel and the towels turned blankets off the berth. Moving to a more comfortable position on his side, Jazz gently repositioned Rachel protectively between his body and arm so he could watch over her as she slept. She unconsciously snuggled up to him, smiling softly in her sleep. He idly brushed her hair out of her face with a finger, amazed that this beautiful creature was sleeping peacefully micrometers from his body. With the lulling sound of her heart beat and her soft breathing, he reinitiated his recharge programming.

As he slipped back into recharge, he wondered if he could convince her to come sleep in his room more often.

* * *

The pleasant dream I had was fading quickly when I first woke up, leaving me with a vague and happy feeling. Seconds later all I could remember was that Jazz and I were in it. I wiped the sleep from my eyes and tried to focus on where I was. The familiar hum of his systems brought me to my senses and I realized that I was curled up between Jazz's arm and chest. Sometime during the night he must have woken up and moved into a comfortable position for himself and placed me in this protective position. I sat up and stretched feeling my shoulders and back pop loudly - recharge berths were not the most comfortable places to sleep.

I looked up at Jazz's sleeping form and smiled. He was still in deep recharge but he knew that I had stayed the night with him. I felt giddy inside as the heat from a blush flooded my face. I shook my head as I chided myself: _See? That wasn't so bad after all._

Wondering what time it was, I started to fold up the towels. No use in waking Jazz up right away; he had been tired enough to fall asleep when he sat down, he deserved to recharge longer. I set the towels down on a corner of the berth before climbing down, and then I realized that my shoes were still up in the chair. Oh well, I shrugged. I'll just come back for them later.

I slipped out the door quietly; the hallways were empty and somewhat peaceful, but I could hear movement and voices further down the orange titanium hall. I couldn't help but feel self-conscious as I wondered what the others would think if they knew I slept in Jazz's room last night. With the blush and giddy feeling returning, I hopped down to my room smiling to myself. _All that fuss, and for what? Feeling happy and the knowledge that he knows you were there? What is so wrong with that?_ There was no one there to see me acting foolish, so I let the schoolgirl giggles have free reign.

It was after nine a.m. and I was late for work. Figuring it wouldn't matter too much since I was already late, I freshened up in my room and then I went to the lounge to get some coffee.

I made small talk with the few mechs that were in there getting energon, even with the sour Weapons Specialist. Ironhide was grumbling about the seawater and oil muck from the previous day gumming up the firing mechanisms in his cannons, so with a wide smile I offered to check them out later if he swung by the med bay. He said he'd be by after his shift as I waved and headed off for work.

The doors to the med bay were open when I arrived and I was surprised to find Ratchet, Wheeljack and Jetfire all standing around Teletraan 1's screen. What a day to be late. I set my cup of coffee on my desk and walked over to the three mechs.

Jetfire had brought up a map of the Pacific Ocean and was pointing out where the Pacific Plate met the North American Plate with a finger. "The Aleutian Trench, where the Earth's Allspark is located, is an active volcanic area with the Pacific Plate being subducted underneath it. Until yesterday, I was certain because of its location that it would be safe from Starscream and the Decepticons. Unfortunately, I assumed wrong as the Allspark started to move, and not in a direction that it would considering the geology of the area." He pointed out a dot on the screen that represented the Allspark. "Between the time when I first surveyed the Earth and now the Allspark had moved northwestward along with the Pacific Plate. As of yesterday the Allspark started to rise from the subducted plate, and at the current rate of movement it should break free from the Aleutian Trench within thirty-five Earth days."

I looked up at the giant map and the screen with the calculations Jetfire had made. "How long after until it reaches the ocean surface?"

"Good morning, Rachel." The gentle scientist turned to look at me before he pointed out equations on ocean currents and weather predictions for the area. "Two days at the most, worst case scenario – a few hours. The harmonic radiation from the Allspark will be evident once it breaks free of the trench, alerting not only the Decepticons but your scientists and governments."

"How dangerous is the radiation?" I looked up to Jetfire with worry spreading across my face. "Because if we're looking at lethal levels of radiation, then I need to call Secretary Granger and warn him."

"I don't believe the radiation will be harmful as it was what created life on Earth. I would suspect that it would have a beneficial affect on oceanic life in the Pacific by either repopulating currently existing species, creating new species or both. But I will study the radiation levels just to be sure. At the moment I am more worried by the fact that the signal will alert the Decepticons."

Wheeljack crossed his arms over his chest, his vocal processors blinking as he spoke. "What if Megatron takes it back to Cybertron? Can he affect life back home with an Allspark?"

Jetfire shook his head. "No. When the alien Allspark was brought back to Cybertron for study, there were no affects on the planet or the researchers working on it. But if he takes it to a lifeless planet he could seed the planet for his own uses."

I looked between the three mechs. "What happens to Earth if he takes it away?"

"Birth rates would drop, extinction rates of keystone species would increase." Ratchet shook his head and brought up data on Teletraan 1's screen from studies done at the Science Academy. "The decrease in the creation of sparklings was noticeable enough on Cybertron regardless of our life span, but who knows what damage it would cause on Earth with humans living to be on average sixty years with roughly thirty years available for procreation."

A chill went down my spine and all traces of my wonderful morning were shattered as the implications of what they were saying sunk in. "So in a matter of years all life on Earth would be destroyed."

"I'm afraid so, Rachel." Icy blue optics gazed sadly down at me.

"So what do we do to stop it?"

The gentle scientist turned back to Teletraan 1's screen. "I am unsure at this point. We do not have the means to restore it to its original position nor do we have a way to remove it and bring it back to the Ark."

"How big is the Allspark? I could always modify the C-17 to carry-" Jetfire stopped Wheeljack before he could continue with his line of thought.

"It is easily half the size of the Ark, maybe even bigger than the Ark. I can only tell the strength of the signal with my scanners, not the actual size."

I stepped closer to the screens that were forecasting Earth's impending doom. "Do you think this is because of the artifact being destroyed in Mexico?"

"I believe there is a correlation between the two. Movement in one direction that has been achieved over millions of years does not alter and change course in one day without some reason behind it."

Wheeljack tapped his fingers on the elbow of his crossed arms. "What about Starscream and the other buzzards? Could they have done something to cause this?"

"It is possible, but there has been no sightings of Starscream since the destruction of the artifact."

"Is there a way to track its movements discretely, like maybe with Sky spy?" I looked up at the three mechs. "Or can we program Sky spy to monitor the harmonic radiation levels?"

"Easy enough." Wheeljack stepped up to the console and within seconds had the Autobot satellite programmed and headed to its new position over the Aleutian Trench. "I've modified Sky spy's sensor arrays to focus on all of the radiation signals, all geological changes in the area, any Decepticon activity within 1000 miles of the Aleutian Trench, and send periodic updates on the Allspark's movement directly to this console, Rachel's wireless device and the console in my lab. Anything out of the ordinary happens, we'll know about it in under a nano-klik."

Our brainstorm session ended abruptly when the monitors behind us in the med bay began to wail as Skywarp's systems started a power spike. "Slag, he shouldn't be coming out of recharge like this still." Ratchet grumbled as he walked over to the prone Seeker.

I ran over to them and was half way up the ramp created for me to access the tables when he bolted upright, his intakes raggedly drawing air at an accelerated rate. Skywarp grabbed at Ratchet with an audible snarl, his blood red optics wide and unfocused; the Seeker's nightmare this time left him out of touch with reality. Ratchet tried to restrain him, but Skywarp's wild flailing was enough to push the grouchy medic away. I dodged one of his swinging arms and called to him. "Skywarp!"

"Rachel! Get away from him!" Wheeljack was now trying to help Ratchet restrain him, but it was just fueling Skywarp's thrashing on the table.

I was undeterred. "Skywarp! It's okay, Skywarp! You're safe! Do you hear me? You're in the med bay and you're safe!"

Ratchet yelled at me again as another wild swing from the Seeker nearly knocked me off the table.

I shouted at him in Cybertronian. "SKYWARP! YOU'RE SAFE! CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU'RE SAFE!"

The Seeker's thrashing slowed enough for Ratchet and Wheeljack to grab him. I put both hands on his leg and tried to calm him again, speaking firmly but gently. "Skywarp. You're safe. You just had a bad dream."

"Keep talking to him, Rachel." Ratchet said over the noise of the thrashing mech and monitors.

The monitors were still beeping shrilly and his systems were overclocked, but after a few minutes of speaking soothingly to him, he started to calm down. His optics stopped flickering wildly as he started to come back to reality. "It's okay, Skywarp. You're safe. Everything is okay, you're in the med bay still surrounded by all the Autobots that you hate."

He tilted his head and looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language, so I repeated what I said in Cybertronian. "You're safe."

The fact that Ratchet and Wheeljack were holding him still didn't seem to register as he finally looked at me. "Rachel?" His air intakes were still cycling rapidly and his voice sounded rough and strained.

I kept patting his leg and smiled at him. "You're okay, 'Warp. You just had a bad dream, but you're safe now. You're here with everyone you hate. Everything is going to be fine."

He stared at me as he calmed down and finally realized that Ratchet and Wheeljack were restraining him. He tried to wrench his shoulders free but winced in pain. I saw the look and quickly scanned him over, immediately spotting a tear in a secondary energon line. "Ratchet, he's ripped a line close to his fuel pump."

Still holding on to the black and purple Seeker, Ratchet moved into his line of sight. "I'm going to let you go if you can sit still so I can fix this, all right?"

Skywarp gave a terse nod and a weak tug as Ratchet loosened his grip. His optics instantly shifted back to stare at me, that strange look he gave me the day before crossing his faceplate again. His air intakes cycled down to a normal rate and I could hear his internal systems finally slow to a somewhat rested state, but he didn't take his optics off of me. I just smiled and kept patting him reassuringly. It had to be the craziest sight in the world: here I was, a human, comforting a big bad Decepticon like he was a distraught child. I wasn't sure if he had truly calmed down because I was there or if he calmed down because his CPU finally shook off the nightmare and grasped reality. It was puzzling that as he came out of the grip of the dream he actually called me by my name instead of my gender. Had I been in his nightmare again and had my presence affected him by bringing him back to reality?

Maybe when things calmed down later I would ask him about it. But that would have to wait for later. Much later, because I wasn't totally convinced that I wanted to know if I was in his nightmare again.

* * *

_They were smiling._

_He looked between his wingmates as if they had grown extra heads. Thundercracker looked calm at and ease, his normal dark glower had disappeared completely. Starscream's trademark snarky scowl was gone and replaced with a genuine laugh that he hadn't heard in eons. What was happening?_

_Skywarp surveyed the crowded room where they stood; it was brimming with mechs and glowing cubes of the finest high-grade energon that he had ever seen. He glanced over at the enormous windows and the silvery blue cityscape of a rebuilt Iacon. _

_They were home._

_He couldn't help but grin as he clapped his two best friends on the back and pushed them to the nearest table that held the exquisite crystal cubes of high-grade. "I do believe I hear the cries of energon that is begging to be drank."_

_With cubes in hand, the trio leaned against the nearest table and watched the party, waving and pointing out people they hadn't seen since their days at the Academy. Actually, it _felt_ like they were still at the Academy. Everything seemed right in the world and any reservations he had earlier disappeared, even when Optimus Prime approached them with his hand outstretched to Starscream. The red Seeker eagerly shook his hand and commented on the party and the best high-grade he'd ever had. Skywarp couldn't help but giggle as he lifted his glowing energon cube up. "To the best high-grade 'Screamer has ever kept down for more than a joor!"_

_Thundercracker snickered loudly and thumped Skywarp on the shoulder. "Hey 'Warp? Remember that time when-"_

_Starscream shoved the dark blue Seeker. "Shut up, both of you!"_

_He couldn't help his giggles and gave a playful elbow back to his friend. "And what about that one time-?"_

_The three tussled in front of a laughing Optimus Prime, accidentally sloshing energon on the floor. This behavior for them was normal. This was who they were and who they'd always be. This is how life was _supposed_ to be for them._

_Thundercracker straightened up and wiped some of the thick golden liquid from his wings, his playful smile turning into a mischievous one as he waved to someone. "If you sparklings can stay out of trouble for awhile, my presence is requested elsewhere."_

_Two sets of curious purple optics and one set of bright blue turned to see to whom he was waving. A smiling femme with golden optics walked up to the small group. "I swear, you three are attached to each other by the wings."_

_The grinning dark blue Seeker wrapped an arm over the femme's shoulders. "Good to see you, Optimus. And you two," he pointed at him and Starscream. "Stay out of trouble and don't wait up."_

"_You mean sparkling-sit Skywarp so he stays out of trouble." Starscream smirked._

_Thundercracker snorted and walked away with the femme without another word. The remaining two Seekers looked at each other and grinned evilly. They didn't know the meaning of trouble. _

_Starscream turned to talk to Optimus again and he decided his hands felt naked without another energon cube. He walked over to the nearest drone waiter and helped himself to two cubes. Maybe he would share with Starscream, maybe not. He lifted one cube to his lips and drank deeply; if he knew the nerdy Starscream (which he did), the mech would talk Optimus' audios off about some new project or his latest thesis or a ton of other boring stuff. He took another swig of the pure golden energy and gazed about; there had to be a femme about who would enjoy his company somewhere in the room._

_Something across the way caught his optics and he shuffled through the crowd to get a better look. He stopped a few feet away of a table, a curious look spreading over his faceplate. _What is that?

_A strange little creature sat there talking and laughing with a black and white mech. Its outer covering was a deep red and it looked very fragile with no armor that he could see. It was fascinating to look at and he found it difficult to quit staring. Whatever it was, he found it strangely… alluring. The creature turned and looked at him, returning his stare with a curious one of its own. It then smiled and he noticed its murky purple optics were wet and just as fragile looking as the creature was. They were odd but somewhat familiar…_

_Wait_._ That creature is not a '_what_', but a _'who'_. And somehow he knew what and who she was. He wasn't sure how or why he knew the femme, but he lifted his energon cube up to her and smiled. Aliens visiting from the nearby systems weren't unheard of here; he must have seen her over at the Science Academy or something. The black and purple Seeker turned and headed back into the crowd on his search for company._

_He walked around the room before returning to Starscream and handing over the extra energon cube. He had seen plenty of people walk up to Optimus Prime and briefly talk to him; maybe he could smile at one of the many femmes that came by and offer to get her a drink. _

_Suddenly the building shook violently and the entire crowded room went silent. Tense moments passed until Optimus' strong baritone voice cut through the hushed air. "It was probably a core tremor. There's nothing to worry about." Nervous talk resumed and before long the party was heading back to a full swing. He was now on his fourth cube and vaguely focused on whatever Starscream was prattling on about now. Give the mech an idly audio receptor and he could rattle off for joors._

_The building suddenly shook again, this time hard enough to send a huge crack across one of the enormous windows. People went to examine the crack and that's went the first scream was heard. A femme, shrieking loudly, was pointing out the windows. The room became deadly silent as optics turned from the giant crack in the window to what lay beyond the glass._

_The planets lit by Cybertron's blue sun were aligned across the twilight skies._

_He heard the hushed voice of his friend from his side. "We're not supposed to have a major conjunction for eighty vorns and-" He was cut off from saying anything else as lightning laced through the air, heralding angry and roiling clouds that swallowed up the sky. Thundercracker was instantly by them and they shared frightened glances as people panicked and ran for the exits._

_Somehow they had failed._

"_We have to get out of here now!" Starscream had pulled a gun from his subspace pocket and fired on the giant window closest to them. A completely foreign scream filled his audios and he swung around to see the femme cowering in the middle of the room with her arms over her head._

_Two sets of strong hands grabbed his arms and pulled him to the window. " Come on 'Warp!" He looked forwards at the violent lightning that rained down on the planet as the femme screamed again. She would have no chance of survival in that if she weren't stomped on first…_

_He yanked his arms free of his wingmates grasps and dove through the crowd scooping the crying femme up in his hands. Starscream and Thundercracker were already in the air and heading into the stratosphere as he transformed and tucked the femme inside his body._

"_Skywarp! What's going on?!" She shrieked and trembled inside his cockpit._

"_We have to get out of here, Rachel!" Even his voice sounded strained over the roar of his engines as he over taxed them._

"_What about Jazz!?"_

"_We don't have time to find the Autobot! We have to get out of here!"_

"_We can't leave him behind!" She screamed and ducked down as the lightning around him crashed violently._

_He tried to duck and dodge his way through the electrical bolts that rained down; one hit could knock them out of the air. The roiling clouds had blacked out the skies meaning that their only means of escaping the deadly lightning storm would be through them. "Hang on, Rachel!" He gunned his thrusters and pierced the tormented clouds. He wasn't given the option to think that this had been a bad idea as the lightning ferociously surrounded them. He took a heavy hit on his left wing that melted his airfoils and sent them in a wild and uncontrollable spin. _

"_SKYWARP!" She yelled frantically at him as he fell out of the sky, the angry clouds streaming past at a dizzying rate. There was no way he could fly in his alternate mode anymore. He reached inside of his cockpit and pulled Rachel out, holding her close to his body as he transformed. He righted himself and tried to get out of their cloudy prison, pushing his thrusters beyond their means. Survival was his only goal; pain from abusing his body could wait until they were safe._

_Something unseen engulfed him and they stopped moving completely. The clouds started to disperse and he found himself in some pitch-black void. He recognized it immediately and his spark sank; he was going to end up crushed to death._

_As he felt the first fingers of the gravity well take hold, he saw stray crimson and dark blue pieces of armor turning to fine dust. At least he wouldn't have to witness their deaths again. Then he heard her gasp in agony. Oh slag! The femme! He tried to cup his hands around her in a vain effort to protect her from their inevitable demise only to feel her fragile body shake uncontrollably. He was aware of every movement she made inside his hands and the more frantic she was the wetter his hands became. She cried out in between pained choking. Her death was going to be excruciating. _

_His fuel tank lurched viciously and his heavy spark sank as he heard her desperate scream again. He pressed his palms together until she stopped moving, her blood completely covering his hands and floating into the void like deep ruby bubbles before splashing on the remaining pieces of crimson and dark blue armor._

_Primus, I'm so sorry Rachel._

He thought he could make out a voice calling to him in the dank confusion that gripped him. A calm beacon pulling him out of the painful void that trapped him.

"_Skywarp… You're safe…"_

The chaos subsided and the voice spoke to him again. "You're safe."

"Rachel?" His air intakes were still cycling rapidly and his voice sounded rough and strained. He looked down at the femme standing next to him, whole and undamaged and patting his leg. He glanced at his hands very relieved to find they were clean. His fuel pump felt like it was about to break out of his chest, and his tanks lurched trying to purge the high-grade from his system. But he didn't drink any high-grade, did he? He looked at the femme again and she smiled at him.

"You're okay, 'Warp. You just had a bad dream, but you're safe now."

* * *

"Slag, he shouldn't be coming out of recharge like this still." Ratchet grumbled aloud as he got up off the table he had been leaning on and headed towards the Seeker. The grouchy medic had written a specific program to keep the Seeker in a deeper recharge state so he could rest and allow his body the time needed to repair itself. He, Wheeljack and Rachel had been working on Skywarp's repairs for over two weeks now, yet his recovery systems were not working up to capacity.

The Seeker bolted upright, yanking free of the cords and lines that were monitoring his systems and flailing about as if he was trying to fight off an unseen attacker; he was thrashing wildly at whatever had caused his system spike this time. Ratchet tried to grab Skywarp's arm to restrain him so the Seeker wouldn't harm himself only to get the mech growling at him and throwing his hands off. Wheeljack was at his elbow and with a nod they both made a joint grab for the rampaging Seeker.

Their first try to grab him failed and he heard Rachel call out to the Seeker. "Skywarp!"

He watched one flailing arm of the mech head in her direction. "Rachel! Get away from him!"

She didn't listen to him and kept trying to get the Seeker's attention. When he had Skywarp restrained and hopefully back into deep stasis, he was going to give the young woman a piece of his mind for not listening to him… again.

She shouted at the thrashing mech in both English and Cybertronian. "SKYWARP! IT'S OKAY, SKYWARP! YOU'RE SAFE! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU'RE IN THE MED BAY AND YOU'RE SAFE!"

Her yelling at him seemed to have a slightly calming effect as his thrashing started to slow enough that he and Wheeljack were able to grab onto the Seeker's shoulders. Rachel had moved closer to the mech and started to speak in soothing tones to him, reassuring the Seeker that he was safe in the med bay surrounded by Autobots that he hated. Wheeljack laughed at her comment, while he could just shake his head. It was an odd way to calm anyone down, but it was working.

The monitors were still blaring loudly but Skywarp's flailing about was abating. "Keep talking to him, Rachel."

She had moved closer to the Seeker and was now patting his leg as she spoke to him, bringing him out of what ever terror had griped him. His air intakes were cycling too quickly for his taste and from what few cables were still attached to monitors he could see the racing rate of his fuel pump. Ratchet groaned inwardly knowing that the mech would sustain injuries from this.

Skywarp's voice sounded strained through the rapid cycling of air as he called to the young woman; Ratchet noticed right off that he called her by name instead of 'femme'. He had only heard him speak her name once before and that was when there was an altercation with Jazz.

"You're okay, 'Warp. You just had a bad dream, but you're safe now. You're here with everyone you hate. Everything is going to be fine." She kept comforting him until the Seeker realized that he was being restrained. "Ratchet, he's ripped a line close to his fuel pump."

The grouchy medic scowled; he knew the Seeker would damage himself from flailing about. He moved into his line of sight. "I'm going to let you go if you can sit still so I can fix this, all right?"

Skywarp gave a terse nod and a weak tug as he loosened his grip. The Seeker turned back to look at Rachel and she kept smiling and patting his leg. The mech was occupied enough by her that he had no trouble accessing the leak and repairing it quickly before any more damage could be done.

Ratchet couldn't help but be curious about this latest episode with Skywarp. He had found the cause of the Seeker's system spikes by accident the day before when he walked in on Rachel explaining nightmares to the Decepticon. He had stood in the doorway between the med bay and his office and listened to them speak in hushed tones about what Skywarp had been dreaming about, and he had noticed the body language of the Seeker when he spoke to Rachel. He was calmer around her, even pleasant, for a Decepticon. His cocky attitude was curtailed with her in the room and he actually brushed off the evil glares and snide comments made to him from the other mechs. The Seeker seemed to react better to Rachel during the repairs done while he was awake. And the fact that Skywarp had opened up to the young woman about why he was jumping out of his armor while recharging was startling. The other Decepticons would most likely look down upon such an interaction as being weak, but the fact remained that the Seeker seemed to _trust_ Rachel enough to talk to her about what was bothering him.

As he closed up the side panel where the leak had been, Ratchet watched as Rachel still spoke soothingly to the Seeker. There was no mistaking it; her very presence had a calming effect on Skywarp. It wasn't an unheard concept – she had a calming effect on the Twins as well, but the way the Seeker responded to her was bothering him. Rachel had been kidnapped once already by the Seekers and as Skywarp's repairs were coming along, he didn't want to put Rachel in danger in case the mech decided to take her with him.

Ratchet reattached cables that the Seeker had pulled free. When Skywarp could be released, he would make sure Rachel was nowhere near the med bay. He would talk to Prowl about transferring her to Communications duty or helping Red Alert monitor security, anywhere besides the med bay that would reassure him of her safety.

* * *

After the excitement with Skywarp's outburst, the med bay was quiet again. Ratchet and Wheeljack were now working on the sullen Seeker's leg. Amazingly, the mech had kept his cocky attitude under wraps and hadn't spoken since I had calmed him down. He didn't even look at the engineer or the medic that were working on him, instead looking off to the side at the wall.

The day was beginning to turn into a semi-normal day… Minus the doom and gloom prediction that in thirty-five days the Allspark that supposedly created life on Earth was going to send the world into an absolute state of panic over the amount of radiation coming from it… and that wasn't taking into consideration what the Decepticons would do when they found out about it.

I ran my hand absently through my hair as I looked through NASA files about the Mars Rovers - Spirit and Opportunity. It was very intriguing and I was amazed at the detailed photographs taken by the rovers, but the amount of information was overwhelming. There was so much information in the files that even Jetfire, who was reading over the all of the geological survey data, was so engrossed that I had to get up and tap on his leg repeatedly to get his attention when I found useful information. So far there was no trace of any harmonic radiation signature, but with the advent of the movement of the Allspark, Jetfire's opinion of the need for an interplanetary mission changed. And I was hoping that we would find _something_ to warrant a visit into outer space.

I opened the 2006 files on the data gathered from inside a crater in the Meridiani Planum that showed obvious stratified patterns and irregular distribution of bromine and chlorine that NASA scientists believed to be an ancient shoreline from an evaporated salty sea. The cross bedding in the rocks was fascinating, but not revealing anything useful to our search. I needed something –anything- concrete from the rovers that would indicate a source for harmonic radiation. But we had a long way to go in sorting out the survey data, and the rovers had traveled over a large amount of the Martian surface and gathered data from everything imaginable on the way.

I was about to give up the search and find that soda that was calling to me from the lounge when my wireless Teletraan 1 beeped at me. It was an instant message from a certain bored mech who was supposed to be watching Communications. I idly glanced over the next file from the rovers as I clicked on the flashing message.

**SecretAgentMech:** Missed you this morning.

I could feel the heat in my cheeks immediately. Just a few words from him and I would melt, but I had to hold some amount of decorum in case Jetfire came over to look at my progress.

-: Sorry. I had to get up early for my shift and you looked so peaceful in recharge. I didn't have the heart to wake you.

**SecretAgentMech:** When does your shift end?

My concentration was completely shot. I'd have to reread most of this file.

-: When I find solid proof for Jetfire that we should go to Mars.

**SecretAgentMech:** Mars? What for?

-: Long story, I'll tell you when we get a chance to talk. Anyways, when does your shift end and where do you want to talk?

**SecretAgentMech:** I'm trapped in Communications all alone and bored til 1700.

-: Aww, that long with nothing to do?

**SecretAgentMech:** -grin- You could always come visit me. Anyways, there's something I want to ask you…

-: Oh? I was just thinking about going to get a soda, I'll come see you.

I scrolled through the last few pages of the files; it wasn't going to be fun to reread this. Though the thought of sneaking off for a bit to talk to Jazz made the prospect a little more tolerable.

**SecretAgentMech:** I'll be here waiting.

I closed the instant message and gave a final frown to the last page of the file, intent on a much-desired visit to Communication when it caught my eye. I tilted my head to one side and reread the graph that drew my attention at the last moment.

While the Mars Global Surveyor passed over the Cydonia Mensae in 2006 it picked up strong radiation signals. Multiple strong signals. I flicked back through the file: I knew I had seen a picture of the area it was referring to somewhere. I stumbled literally on a handful of .gif images of the area from the old Viking 1 & 2 missions in 1976. There were some odd mesas in the slightly distorted pictures and a blurb about the mythical 'Mars Face'. I squinted at the pictures. I guess it sort of looked like a face, a rectangular face with big cracks through it. Actually, it looked like a mask from 'Planet of the Apes'.

But that wasn't important.

What was important was that while examining these areas from orbit, our space probes had recorded strange radiation signals. I had found the proof we needed for a mission.

"Jetfire!" The gentle scientist looked over at me as I waved madly to him. "I think I found it!" I put the graphs and pictures up on the large Teletraan 1 screen for him to see.

His icy blue optics widened slightly and he smiled. "You found it, Rachel." He turned his smile towards me. "I take it you want to accompany me to investigate the source?"

My eyes nearly popped out of me head. "Of course I do!"

Jetfire chuckled and went back to studying the screen. "I will talk to Optimus about setting up a mission then."

"Woo! Yes!" I jumped up excitedly and drew every optic in the room to my outburst. I just grinned like a lunatic at them. "We're going to Mars!"

That earned me a few knowing chuckles and a set of glowering blood red optics turned to bore holes into me. I didn't care. I was going into outer space! But first… I had a promise to keep and I needed to tell a certain mech the news of me going to Mars.

I grinned up at Jetfire. "I'll let you sort out the rest, I'm going to take a little break. I'll be in Communications if you need me."

* * *

The moment Starscream returned to Nemesis he opened up a radio link to the engineering bay and demanded to know about Skywarp's condition. The hapless mech that answered the call stuttered back over the comlink that Skywarp wasn't in the bay. "How long ago did he leave?"

There was a deathly quiet pause as the ill-fated mech tried to find the right words to say. "…Uh, he's not been in here."

"What do you mean he's not been there?! He was damaged enough to require serious medical intervention to keep him online!" The snarl in the Air Commander's voice dripped venom over the link.

"…I'm sorry, sir. But he's not been by in over a deca-cycle."

Starscream cut the link. Skywarp had to be here somewhere. With a glower that could melt titanium, he cleared the mechs out of the lifts to the officers' quarters and punched in the key code for Skywarp's personal quarters. The door opened to reveal a dark room and no Skywarp. He stormed over to the computer in the room and accessed the logs. The last entry was before they had left with Megatron to investigate the artifact. He left the room and entered Thundercracker's quarters, which were empty as well and his last login was before he had sent the dark blue Seeker to Cybertron for supplies.

He was barely aware of sitting down heavily in the desk chair. _This can't be happening._

Megatron's voice broke through his disjointed train of thoughts over his comlink. "I thought I told you to report to me directly when you arrived, Starscream."

The Air Commander ran his hand raggedly over his faceplate before standing. "I'm on my way."

Mechs in the hallways cleared a wide path for the furious red Seeker, his wings were hitched up in agitation and his lips pulled back in a vicious snarl. Megatron would have some serious answering to do.

He doors to the control room couldn't open fast enough to get out of the way of the enraged Seeker. "I demand an answer, Megatron! Where are Skywarp and Thundercracker!"

Blood red optics gave the Air Commander a bored glare. "The Space Bridge is malfunctioning. Go fix it."

Murderous crimson optics narrowed into tiny slits as Starscream stood there, his fury radiating from him. "You owe me an answer, Megatron! Where are they?!"

The warlord's red optics fixed on the Seeker, his voice dripping with villainous ice. "_I owe you nothing_."

"You owe us everything! You never would have kept Cybertron under Decepticon rule if it hadn't been for us!"

"You think too highly of your pathetic self, Starscream. Do you truly think I care what happened those two glitching idiots? They were expendable. Just like you are expendable. There will always be someone to replace you. Never forget that, Starscream."

The Seeker's fists opened and closed rapidly with sick popping noises coming from his finger joints; his hands became wet from the articulation servos that he destroyed in his anger.

Megatron sat back in his chair thoroughly enjoying tormenting Starscream. "I believe it's time to let you on a little secret I've been keeping just for this kind of situation." He chuckled evilly. "You see, Starscream, back when the war started I had soldiers that were loyal to my cause. They would readily lay their pathetic lives down for me if given the chance, but soldiers that were willing to die in such a piteous way were useless to me. I didn't need their weak and blind devotion to the Decepticons or I. I needed, soldiers that could fight, soldiers that would stop at nothing to destroy our enemies." He drummed his fingers on the armrest of his chair.

"I wanted the best soldiers that Cybertron could produce. Daring and fearless, yet young enough for me to mold into perfect war machines. I was told that the War Academy had five warriors that would be perfect for the Decepticons and I went to investigate the claims that they were the best of the best. The first two I approached were young, reckless and foolish, and I knew they would never make it as Decepticons, but the other three… They were just what I was looking for. Skilled and disciplined warriors that were still at the impressionable age for someone like me to forge into true killers… I believe you know who I am talking about."

The Seeker glowered at Megatron, but the warlord still had his attention. "They strived to be the best, relished in the thrill of victory, craving the power that being above everyone else gave them. They _were_ the best of the best. The one idiot was eager to join to fight for his glory, and you were starving for control, yearning for power and willing to stop at nothing to get it. There was only one problem… that other glitch. He would be an excellent warrior _if he had his priorities straight_, yet because of him you two glitches refused to join. That one wanted nothing to do with the Decepticons." Megatron leaned forward in his chair. "But I always get what I want, Starscream… I always do, even if I had to employ a touch of… persuasion."

The Air Commander's optics widened as he realized what Megatron was saying. "You- you-"

"That was our best recruiting day. Mechs from all over Iacon were flocking to my door to become my army. But do you know the best part of that day, Starscream? I take it that your memory is still functional, but I will say it anyway because I believe you need to hear it to remind you of your place." There was a cold chuckle from the warlord. "Besides the numerous mechs that practically begged to join, those three young warriors pushed through the crowds and demanded that I make them Decepticons. _They demanded._ Heh. It's rather funny in a way, they wouldn't join when asked, but when everything that was... important to them was taken away… they couldn't wait to get their hands on the Autobots. Ironic, isn't it Starscream? That all it took for you three glitches to join was to destroy a section of Iacon and you obediently lined up like a drone army."

Starscream stood there shaking in fury.

"Oh? I seemed to have struck a nerve, haven't I, Starscream?" Megatron stood up and walked towards him, obviously pleased by torturing him with the memory. "You and those idiot Seekers of yours thought you were so high above everyone else, and yet in the end, all it took was Soundwave peeking into your fragile minds to find out what was dear to you, and few well placed explosives on my part. I wonder what the others would have said if they found out what I did to make them join."

The warlord stopped right in front of him, blood red optics glittering in amusement over his distress. "Tell me, Starscream. Did he jump at the chance to join the Decepticons with you after I blew up the Academy or did you still need to convince him to join so he could take out his revenge on the Autobots?"

Starscream lunged at Megatron snarling furiously only to be knocked to the floor by the muzzle of the fusion cannon. "I know how much you crave power and how you plan to overthrow my rule of the Decepticons, but do you really think you can handle it now that you are completely alone, Starscream?"The warlord sneered at him." No one would follow you. You're pathetic, weak and useless. You wouldn't last a joor as leader of the Decepticons!"

"You know… I thought I saw something special in you three frakking glitches, but in the end I was wrong. I wanted to shape you three into something better than you were. Something that I could use to further the Decepticon cause. But I was wrong and I will freely admit that. It was a waste of my time. _You_ were a waste of my time. So you see, Starscream, _I owe you nothing!_" The cannon was humming to life and Megatron shoved the barrel of it into the Air Commanders face. _"You are replaceable, Starscream. Never, ever forget that."_

* * *

Hook brought Soundwave's alternate form out of his subspace and set him on the ground, activating the mass-displacement programming and stepping away.

Scrapper stood nearby with his arms over his chest plate, eyeing Hook and the offline Communications officer. "Are you certain this will work?"

The engineer shot the mech a poisonous glance as he walked towards him. "Of course I'm certain. I will activate him remotely and he will remember only that he went to Cybertron to gather supplies for Megatron. That power hungry glitch will take Soundwave back instantly."

"How can we be certain of that?"

Hook glared at his teammate. "Your lack of insight is appalling. Soundwave is a programmed telepath. There are very few mechs that were given that programming, therefore, he is invaluable to Megatron."

Scrapper did not look impressed. "And what if he uses his telepathy on us?"

"He can't. I've added a simple algorithm to his programming that when faced with one of us, he will read our minds as completely blank."

"Fine." Scrapper turned and walked towards the other Constructicons where they were toying with the nearly offline Autobot. He picked up the red mech and motioned for Longhaul to transform so he could stow the Autobot in his truck bed. "Let's activate him and leave. I've detected a power source that we can use while I finish repairs."

The other Constructicons transformed and headed away from the prone Soundwave, putting as much distance as Hook's device would allow them before he activated the Communications officer.

* * *

The deep red visor flashed suddenly as Soundwave came back online. He sat up slowly, wondering where he was and how had he gotten there. He remembered going to Cybertron with Hook who had said he was most likely still glitching. He frowned; that idiot engineer held true to his word about abandoning him because he couldn't keep up. But he would get Hook back for this. He could read that Constructicon like a data pad, and report every discrepancy and traitorous thought the mech had to Megatron.

Soundwave stood up and checked his global positioning; he wasn't too far from the coastline and Nemesis. He should be able to get back without dropping into the ocean. He'd report to Megatron the moment he stepped foot on base and then see about finding one of the medics to repair him.

* * *

_This chapter marks the end of Story Arc 6 which means we're about to embark on the first of many twisted rides for Rachel and Jazz and the others caught up in here._

_I hope that you like the story so far and will continue to read it. Chapter 11 and the start of Story Arc 7 is already in the works, and I've had some requests for a St. Valentine's Day story for Jazz and Rachel, so expect those shortly._

_I would like to ask those of you reading this to help me think of a screen name for Rachel to use on the instant messenger. I've tried for days to come up with something and I can't think of anything. I would like to assume she created the SN shortly after arriving at the Ark, so she'd still be in boring scientist mode, but my mind doesn't want to play nice for that silly detail. If you have a suggestion, please drop it in the review box!_


	11. Chapter 11 35 Days

A/N: I know I'm late, but my internet hasn't been working. I also had to cut this chapter into two, which I'll load chapter 12 if my connection holds.

Synopsis: Angsty Starscream has a flash back. Add a serious discussion with the Secretary of Defense, throw poor Rachel to the front of a presentation that she's dreading, add a worried Jazz and top it all off with the strangest conversation to ever be a part of with Wheeljack and Ratchet.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews given much love. Please let me know if you like what you are reading. I can only learn from my mistakes if people are willing to help me out.

Story Arc 7

**Chapter 11** –**35 Days**

**That fragging dirty piece of scrap.**

The red Seeker viciously smacked the panel to the lifts as he propped himself against the purple paneled hallway with one hand. The glow from his optic blazed like a brimstone shower and the withering snarl that disfigured his faceplate would have sent the staunchest mech cowering for cover. The Decepticons that made the mistake of traveling the through the same halls that he did found themselves turning tail and aft and heading back the way they came very quickly.

The growing trail of energon and coolant spread out like a halo around him, every violent twitch of his wings sending a new downpour of his vital fluids over the area. A deluge of glistening energon covered his left leg as it poured from the still smoking wounds at his hip and wing. As gruesome as his physical injuries were, they did not register in his pain receptors. They weren't even a minor annoyance.

The mechs inside the lift fled like frightened glitchmice at the very sight of him when the doors finally opened, giving the wounded Seeker the elevator all to himself. The lift sped its way to the officers' floor, anxious to get the furious Air Commander out of its interior, flinging its doors open in a frenzied attempt to rid itself of the Seeker. He angrily punched the key code to his quarters, pushing past the doors before they were fully opened and stalked across his room. He threw himself brutally to the edge of his berth, not even caring that his vital fluids splattered against the wall and left a growing corona of energon around him.

**Frakking Pit-spawned slagheap.**

The red Seeker rested his elbows on his knees and shuttered his optics. His entire frame was shaking in unbridled fury, his CPU overclocked with memories he had buried deeply in his memory banks…

_He took a tentative sip at the energon cube and looked at the tabletop; he had delayed telling them for the past deca-cycle, partly because he was afraid of their reactions. He knew Skywarp wanted to search full-time and he practically itched to explore the nearby systems for the artifacts, but he needed to be reasonable. Thundercracker was the only one who had a secure job and his mentorship didn't pay enough for the three of them to continue the search. "I've been offered a full time professorship at the Academy." _

_One set of purple optics brightened in surprise. "That's great 'Screamer! Did you accept?"_

_He looked up at the dark blue flier sitting to his left with a grin… but it didn't last as he saw the crestfallen look from the black and purple flier on his right. He looked down at the table. "Yes."_

"_Why? That will make the search that much harder since we already have to work around TC's schedule."_

_Thundercracker leaned forwards on the table. "'Warp, we can't afford the off-world searches."_

_Skywarp looked scandalized. "So we'll go find work on one of the merchant ships and search that way."_

"_You would give up flying for Primus knows how many trimaras sitting on some merchant vessel just to search?" The stunned look on Thundercracker's faceplate made Skywarp regain some of his senses. They had all learned early on that flying meant everything to them with the only exception being their friendship. "Do you really think you could give up flying for that long?"_

_Skywarp frowned and glared at him and Thundercracker. "I thought we were going to be the best of the best that Cybertron had to offer." _

_He tried to reason with the black and purple flier. "No one at the Academies will be able to beat any of our records. Do you think that Magistrate General Megatron came to us promising officer positions because he liked our protoforms? He came to us because we are the best."_

"_Yeah. No one can touch us, 'Warp. We broke every record the Academy had and set the bar so high that we're untouchable." _

_Purple fingers bent the edge of the table as Skywarp gripped it angrily. "That was just here in Iacon! We aren't true Seekers until we become the best in the universe!"_

"_The universe is immense. We wouldn't live long enough to travel to the nearest supercluster." He crossed his arms over his cockpit when the black and purple Seeker turned his poisonous glare towards him. "Don't give me that look. You know very well that I searched every system I went to with Jetfire. It's not like they're all grouped together."_

_Skywarp continued to glower at them; he set his jaw and they could see the cables in his neck tighten in his anger._

"_Listen, 'Warp." Thundercracker gave the black and purple Seeker a level look. "I can get you a job with the Guardian Fliers. I can call in a few favors and get you in my patrol-"_

"_I don't want to be a frakkin' Guardian Flier!" Skywarp stood up and spat at them venomously. "I can't believe you two are throwing all of this away for boring every-day jobs and that femme." Skywarp gave Thundercracker a withering glare and threw a handful of credits on the table. "See you around, 'friends'."_

_They watched Skywarp storm out of the bar, slamming the door behind him. "You think we should go after him?"_

_He shook his head. "No. Let him cool down some."_

_The dark blue flier nodded and took a drink from his energon cube. "On to brighter things, when do you start the professorship?"_

_He grinned and sat back in his chair. He had been absolutely floored when they offered him the position. "In half a deca-cycle. I'm getting four classrooms and most of the third floor on the north wing for my laboratories. They want me to teach Advanced Dynamical Systems Analysis and Applied Interstellar Biology."_

"_Sounds perfect for you." Thundercracker gave a guilty look towards the door. "He's never going to give up on becoming the ultimate Seeker, is he?"_

"_I highly doubt it. He's had his spark set on that since-" There was a huge explosion that knocked out the lights and shook the area to the core, forcing them to cling to the table to keep upright. Alarms started to blare and numerous smaller blasts rocked the entire building. They ran outside followed by the frightened bar patrons as another explosion was felt and an enormous black mushroom cloud filled the sky; its vicious flames leaping above the buildings. They were in the air in nano-kliks and heading towards the fire along with every Guardian Flier and the Iacon Rescue Fleet._

"_Primus! That looks like the Iacon Academy complex!" The fear and panic he heard in Thundercracker's voice chilled his spark and he sent a silent prayer to Primus. Please let it be anywhere but the Academy…_

_Skywarp appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Thundercracker's nosecone forcing him up into the sky. "SLAG IT, 'WARP! LET GO OF ME!"_

"_NO, TC! YOU CAN'T GO!"_

"_IF YOU DON'T LET GO OF ME RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO OPEN FIRE ON YOU!"_

"_STARSCREAM! HELP ME!" The black and purple flier bellowed to him as he wrestled a transforming Thundercracker._

_He quickly transformed as well and grabbed onto Thundercracker's arms trying to keep him from shooting Skywarp. "'Warp! What's going on!"_

_The look in Skywarp's optics spoke volumes even before his shaking voice could put the look into words…_

**Ill-smelted frakking piece of slag.**

"_All it took was Soundwave peeking into your fragile minds to find out what was dear to you…"_ Megatron's voice cut through an area of his spark that he had thought was long dead.

Starscream stood up and started to pace his room. Only traversing the length of his quarters three times, he roared, his blazing optics landing on a nearby stack of data pads that he grabbed quickly and threw against the opposite wall, destroying them in a violent burst of flickering light and flying shrapnel. He was going to make Megatron pay for what he had done. He was going to stand over the Decepticon leader and rip his still beating spark from his chest and crush it in his bare hands.

Starscream turned and hit the wall repeatedly, his anger only growing the more he thought about his showdown with Megatron and the truth about what had really happened. He yelled and punched through the wall, grabbing and forcefully yanking out a sparking series of wires connected to the lights in his room. His quarters went dark and he banged his head against the wall before turning around and slowly sliding down the dented titanium plating. He put his head in his broken hands and shuttered his optics. He was still oblivious to the pain he had inflicted on himself in the control room when he crushed his own knuckles in rage, or the pain from the wounds in his wing and side, or from punching the walls.

It didn't matter now anyways.

Being alone had always frightened him, but with the constant connection via the comlink with his wingmates, he had forgotten that fear.

That didn't matter either.

He had lost Skywarp and Thundercracker was nowhere to be found. His two best friends had their lives needlessly lost and thrown away. Millions of years they had risked their very lives… for nothing.

That mattered.

All the anger and vengeance they poured into fighting. All the vows to battle until all that was lost was avenged. Hatred fueled by passion. Until every single frakking one of them was sent back to the Pit they had crawled from…

The bleeding energon from his hands slid down his faceplate. He blearily opened one optic and peered at his mangled fingers, flexing them slowly. He would get revenge. He would make frakking sure that Megatron paid for this. Slag just ruling over the Decepticons.

He was going to destroy them.

He couldn't change the past, just like he couldn't bring Skywarp back. He couldn't change the millennia of hatred. He couldn't take back the misplaced loyalty.

But he would _pay_ it back in triple.

There were a few things that had to come first, like fixing the Space Bridge so he could return to Cybertron and see to it that Skywarp received a proper memorial. Then he was going to search for Thundercracker in the hopes that he was still alive. When and if he found him… He squeezed his fist closed, watching the clotting energon drip thickly from his hand.

He'd worry about telling him once he found him.

----

I tried to reign in my excitement as Jetfire and I walked towards Communications. I had planned to visit Jazz there on my break, but Jetfire said he would accompany me and that we would be meeting Optimus Prime and Prowl on the way there. He was trying to explain to me that we needed to discuss the Mars mission with Optimus first along with his results about the harmonic radiation signals, but his words were falling on almost deaf ears. The giddy mantra 'We're going to Mars!' echoed through my mind with every step I took to stay up with the gentle scientist.

Prowl and Optimus met us outside of Communications and I smiled in greetings to them. They started to discuss something with each other but I was too occupied to pay attention, so I quickly ducked into the room and bounced up the steps to Jazz, giggling the entire way.

He laughed at my exuberance with that perfect smile. "I didn't know y' were that excited t' see me."

"Guess what! Guess what! Guess what!" I gushed with excitement eliciting another laugh from him.

"What? What? What?"

"I found the proof we needed and we're going to Mars! Jetfire is planning the mission right now with Optimus! And I'm going with him! I'm going to another planet!" I hugged Jazz tightly. "I'm so excited!" I looked up into his azure visor smiling brightly. "We should ask Optimus if you could come with us!"

"We'll have t' see about that, but I'll talk t' Optimus."

I hugged him again. "This is so awesome… I feel like a kid at Christmas!"

Jetfire, Optimus Prime and Prowl entered Communications and I turned slightly to see them while still keeping as close to Jazz as possible. Whatever they had been discussing before they entered the room had changed Jetfire's calm disposition, and I realized I should have paid more attention to the conversation.

"Would you please call the Secretary of Defense for me please, Rachel?" Optimus walked across the room to us with Jetfire and Prowl in tow. Jetfire was as taut as a rubber band and I wondered why I didn't notice it before, scolding myself that I was too wrapped up in the moment to pay any attention to the obvious worry in my friend.

Jazz set me down carefully by Teletraan 1's console and within seconds I had Wes Granger's secretary on the line and patching the call through to him. It took a few minutes before his smiling face appeared on the secure videolink.

"Well hello, Rachel! I'm sorry that it took so long for me to answer, but I was in with the President. How are you?"

"Hello, Wes. I'm doing fine, thank you. I wish this was a social call, but Optimus needed me to contact you." I let Optimus take over the screen and moved to stand by Jazz. Even though I had the 'official' position as liaison between the Autobots and the United States government, I was perfectly happy to hand that duty over to Optimus Prime – especially when I wasn't sure what was going on.

"Good afternoon, Wes. I'm sorry we had to interrupt your meeting, but we have a situation that we need to inform you about." He motioned for Prowl and Jetfire to join him at the screen. "I believe you've met my Second in Command, Prowl, and our resident science officer, Jetfire." Pleasantries between the three were exchanged. "I'm sure you are aware of the explosion outside of Mexico City less than a month ago."

Wes' expression turned grim. "We figured as much. All the debris left behind made the explanation of a military plane crash plausible."

Optimus Prime nodded, his deep baritone voice taking on a slightly sad note. "I'm sorry we were unable to save the archaeological site, but that battle brought to our attention a very grave situation that will occur in thirty-five days. There is a radioactive object buried underneath the Earth's crust in the Aleutian Trench that is rising to the surface at a rapid rate. Now Jetfire has told me that the radiation will not harm humans and could possibly have a beneficial affect on the oceans and area around it…"

"That's great news! That should appease some of the environmental groups on the West Coast."

"I wish it would, Wes, but the amount of radiation given off by this object will draw the attention of the Decepticons. It was this same radiation that brought them to Mexico City and we are certain that when it breaches the ocean floor they will try to take it."

So that's why Jetfire looked so tense. His quick research on the harmonic radiation signatures would send the Decepticons looking for the source as soon as the Allspark reached the Aleutian Trench, if not sooner. Remembering what Megatron did just to keep the artifact in Mexico away from the Autobots and what Jetfire said about the size of the Allspark… I shivered. The destruction of the Allspark could do just as much damage to the Earth as taking it would.

The Secretary frowned. "Then we'll have to stop them from getting their hands on it."

Prowl leaned forward, "I'm afraid it will not be that easy, Mr. Secretary. After completing a tactical analysis on your military forces, I have come to the conclusion that your involvement would be insubstantial and ineffective in the conflict."

The Secretary's demeanor changed in an instant. "I appreciate your opinion, but as a proud retired solider of the United States Army, I believe you are not giving us due credit. We don't roll over and give up, we fight for what we believe is right and I'll be damned if I don't send our forces out to stop those metal monsters. Hell, I'll even lead the charge myself to keep them from destroying anything else on Earth." Wes's cold and level glare at Prowl exuded with the hardened strength of the veteran Army Colonel. Leave it to the Tactician's overly stoic and logical nature to say things that sounded insulting.

"I am not belittling your military, Mr. Secretary, but you will require a considerably significant force before you should attempt any confrontation with the Decepticons. I have also run an analysis on all of the current military forces on Earth, and it is my recommendation that a joint effort alongside our own forces would be sufficient to keep the Decepticons away from the object until we can devise a permanent solution for this situation."

The Secretary's expression did not change; it wasn't a practiced glower, but the lines it etched on his face seemed semi-permanent and I wondered how often he had to wear it when dealing with other members of the government. "Do you have any idea of how difficult that would be, son? I know for a fact that your own people don't see eye to eye, but gathering every armed force on Earth to work together side by side and NOT kill each other is nigh impossible. Not to mention the serious repercussions that the United States would face for keeping you under wraps. It was hard enough to play off the destruction of Portland as nuclear accident to the world press, but to come out and openly state that there are actual aliens living and fighting on Earth… Do you understand the implications of that type of disclosure to the world? I'm certain Rachel can find a copy of the Brookings Report for you to read, but in a nutshell – societies who are confident of their own place in the universe can fall apart when confronted with a superior society. Entire societies. Revelations that you actually EXIST could tear apart the very fabric of civilization on Earth!"

"I'm afraid we must take that risk, Mr. Secretary." Jetfire spoke up, his icy blue optics were tinged with sadness. "The radiation from the object will also be detected by scientists and governments world wide. And from what I have read about the knowledge of detecting anything radioactive or nuclear by oppositional Earth governments, it will cause unnecessary confrontations.

I wish to offer you my assistance to help explain the source and causes of the radiation, and to help convey that the Autobots are trying to keep Earth safe from the Decepticons. I realize that not only my status as an 'alien' but my size can and will be a deterrent in my ability to help, yet I believe that if I, Optimus and Rachel were able to speak with the leaders of Earth's governments, we could alleviate some of the fear."

My eyes widened at that. This was quickly turning into an _'oh crap'_ and _'how am I supposed to do that?_' situation. How do you explain a giant radiation source that just 'appeared' in the ocean between Kamchatka and Alaska to the world? As if world relations weren't strained enough, the moment the Allspark hits the Aleutian Trench, everyone will know about it – human and Decepticon alike. And how could I help tell the world's leaders that the Autobots were the good guys? _'They're years ahead of us in technology and science, but they're great guys. Just watch out for their feet so you don't get stepped on'_?

"You're going to run into the same situation by talking to world leaders. Revealing your existence is going to cause panic and retaliation against the United States." The Secretary's tone was politer than he was with Prowl, but I understood what he was saying completely. Knowledge was a dangerous weapon. Just look at the nuclear arms race, the space race and the cold war. Even my Nanotech Project. Four people died because they wanted the information to sell, and one lost his life just as bait for me to obey my captors. Had they not killed each other before the Seekers arrived, the information could very well have been turned against the government if a terrorist or insurgent group were to get a hold of it.

"I understand what you are saying, Mr. Secretary, but if the Decepticons remove or destroy the Allspark, then all life on Earth would be destroyed in a matter of years." Jetfire's wings drooped. Just the notion that Earth would be turned into a barren wasteland upset Jetfire.

"You're telling me that without this 'allspark' humankind will be destroyed? That this radiation is what keeps us alive? I thought life existed here because of the atmosphere and distance from the sun and whatnot."

"Yes and no. The primordial radiation from the Allspark keeps the Earth habitable by constantly renewing the biosphere. Without the Allspark, Mr. Secretary, all life on Earth will cease to exist. The global ecological systems will break down, human population rates will have zero growth, the extinction rates for keystone species will cause worldwide famines and your societies would fall apart in five years at the most. Humankind would cease to exist in under twenty years."

"Sweet Jesus…" Wes's gruff face fell and he took off his glasses and rubbed his forehead, the cold realization of the magnitude of the situation hitting him hard. He looked away from the videolink in thought and slowly started to nod in disquieted agreement. "Any idea to why it's moving?"

"I don't know."

"And you said everyone will know it's out in the water in thirty-five days?"

"Yes, Mr. Secretary." Jetfire couldn't look more distressed. He had told me once that an Interstellar Biologist's greatest task was to not interfere with any world he found that held life; the damage to the ecology, environment or inhabitants of a world could be catastrophic, and I was starting to wonder if he felt the movement of the Allspark had something to do with the Autobots and Decepticons being on Earth.

"I'm going to talk to the President and we'll see what we can do. For the life of me, I don't know how we're going to explain this and not see worldwide repercussions, but..." Wes nodded and turned back to the videolink. "We have to do something. I'll call back shortly with an answer from the President."

"If the President needs more information, we will be here waiting, Wes." Optimus moved back to Teletraan 1's monitor. The Secretary gave a troubled nod and the videolink session was ended.

The Autobot leader turned to look at me. "I am going to count on you, Rachel, to help explain the gravity of the situation to your leaders."

I nodded as I now understood why they wanted me to help - a human scientist explaining what was going on would be taken more seriously than Jetfire would. "I won't let you down, Optimus." My assurance brought some light to his optics.

"I am curious, Rachel. Why doesn't the threat of the destruction of your planet and people upset you?"

"It does, but a wise 'bot once told me 'we've been in worse situations before, we'll find a way out of this, too'. It can't be an impossible task, so I'm not going to give up hope that we won't find a solution for this."

"I wonder who this 'wise 'bot' is." There was a smug touch to Jazz's melodic voice.

I grinned mischievously up at him. "Ratchet."

His jaw dropped and I heard a soft chuckle from Optimus Prime as he headed towards the door. "When the Secretary calls back, just transfer the videolink to my office, Jazz."

"Will do, Optimus." We watched the others leave and then Jazz poked me playfully in the back. "Ratchet, huh?"

I giggled and tried to swat his fingers away. "But Ratchet is a wise 'bot."

He continued to poke at me and I fled from his grasp, giggling until my eyes were watering and my sides hurt from laughter. The moment I started to slow down, he swept me up in his arms and hugged me. I rested my head against his chest and hiccupped as the giggling subsided. "You know I was just kidding, Jazz."

"Coulda fooled me." I could hear his disarming smile as he spoke.

"You know that call stole most of my time to spend with you." I glanced up at him and smiled.

"The wise 'bot can make do wit'out y' for awhile longer." I would never tire of that perfect smile or the flutter it always caused in my chest.

I looked at the door to Communications. "And I forgot to ask Optimus."

"About what?"

"You coming with us on the mission to Mars. I guess we'll have to wait until we hear back from Wes." I put my ear to his chest and listened intently to his spark beat. It was perfect, just like he was and I couldn't help but feel like I was the luckiest girl in the entire universe to have found him. "You said you wanted to ask me something. Do you want to talk now or after your shift?" Lost in the sound of his spark, I had started to idly run my hand across his hood drawing small circles with my fingers; it took a few moments of silence before I stopped what I was doing and glanced upward at him.

He wasn't smiling at me and there was a level and cool touch to his voice. "I'll come find y' when my shift is done. Y' think y'll be in the med bay?"

"Probably… Is something wrong, Jazz?"

"No," He set me down on the floor. "I'll come find y' later."

"Uhm, okay." I walked out of Communications and down the hall feeling completely confused. Halfway to the med bay I stopped and leaned against the cool orange plating that lined the hallway. Did I do something wrong? His demeanor changed so quickly… He was laughing one moment and then distant the next. I let my head fall backward against the wall and shut my eyes. He had stopped smiling. I shivered involuntarily even though it was a comfortable temperature in the hallway. The tone of his voice as he told me he'd come find me brought out those icy cold fingers of fear that loved to get at my insides, yet I still couldn't think of what I had done wrong to make his smile disappear.

I pushed off the wall with a weighty sigh and continued on towards the med bay. I'd find out for sure in just a few hours - I'd just have to wait until then.

----

"Do you have any idea of how difficult that would be, son?" It took every ounce of restraint Jazz had to not laugh as the Secretary of Defense talked down to Prowl as if he was a youngling. He would razz Prowl about it later.

He had been taking notes on the entire situation - everything said about the radioactive 'object' to the tone of voice and body language everyone used to exactly what Rachel and Jetfire were researching in the med bay. He wasn't spying on them, per se. The information they were entering into Teletraan 1's databases was easily accessible from any console in the Ark, and therefore public domain.

It was his job to know everything that was going on.

He could feel the tension in Rachel's body as she leaned against him; she was worried and from just her movements he knew that the implications of what Jetfire was talking about scared her. He paid attention to the conversation between Jetfire and the Secretary, but he focused on the worried young woman at his side. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but now wasn't the time for that kind of behavior.

She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear again, an unconscious movement on her part that he found bewitching. She bit her lower lip as her eyes traveled back and forth between the gentle scientist and the Secretary – it would have been an entrancing look on her part if she wasn't so worried. She leaned closer to him and he could feel a slight tremor in her body. Jazz reached down and put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him and smiled; even though there was still worry in her eyes, her smile told him that she wouldn't be afraid if he was near.

Unfortunately, that fueled his worry that he couldn't always be there to protect her - especially if she truly was going to accompany Jetfire to Mars. He didn't like the idea of her going anywhere off-planet. He didn't like the prospect that she would be vulnerable in a hostile environment.

Jazz didn't like it at all.

Space wasn't like what Earth movies and science fiction books made it out to be – it was a dangerous place. Planets could be even more dangerous. Hostile inhabitants, poisonous atmospheres, toxic radiation levels… a veritable plethora of unknown variables that made planetary expeditions dangerous. Even for someone like Jetfire who was trained as an explorer and Interstellar Biologist, it held a certain degree of risk.

Jetfire had run multiple scans of Mars from one of Sky spy's satellites he sent into a high Areocentric orbit. The readings only confirmed the data he entered from his initial evaluation of the Sol system - all of which was easily accessed from any Teletraan 1 console - and it wasn't a safe place for any human, let alone his Rachel. The atmosphere alone was poisonous for a human.

Even if every inhabitant of the Ark accompanied her, he would not put her in danger. Taking her back to a Decepticon-ruled Cybertron was one thing, at least there he could easily protect her and atmospheric conditions were comparable to Earth's. An unknown planet, even if it was in her solar system and he was there just to protect her, was a risk that he wouldn't take. If he let her go and something happened to her, he'd never forgive himself. He wouldn't risk losing her.

The videolink call was ending and the Secretary of Defense was looking a little haggard at the prospect of getting everything done quickly. "We have to do something. I'll call back shortly with an answer from the President."

"If the President needs more information, we will be here waiting, Wes." Optimus Prime turned from Teletraan 1's monitor to face Jazz and Rachel. "I am going to count on you, Rachel, to help explain the gravity of the situation to your leaders."

Rachel nodded to him and asserted, "I won't let you down, Optimus."

"I am curious, Rachel. Why doesn't the threat of the destruction of your planet and people upset you?"

She smiled bravely for Optimus. "It does, but a wise 'bot once told me 'we've been in worse situations before, we'll find a way out of this, too'. It can't be an impossible task, so I'm not going to give up hope that we won't find a solution for this."

"I wonder who this 'wise 'bot' is." Jazz couldn't help but grin. Rachel had changed so much - his shy and quiet scientist had grown optimistic and outgoing in the year she had spent with him at the Ark.

She gave him a mischievous smirk. "Ratchet."

Did he mention that she had picked up a smart-aft streak as well?

Optimus Prime chuckled as he headed towards the door. "When the Secretary calls back, just transfer the videolink to my office, Jazz."

"Will do, Optimus." Jazz poked her playfully. "Ratchet, huh?"

"But Ratchet is a wise 'bot." Rachel's infectious giggles egged him on and Jazz tried to grab her. She danced out of his grasp as they ran around Communications laughing like sparklings. He could have caught her at any time, but he loved seeing her smile and her laughter was like music to his audios. When tears were pouring down her cheeks and she started to grip her side, he knew it was time to stop playing and hug her. They had gone too long from being in each other's company - a week without her was excruciatingly painful… He would never take her company for granted again.

"You know I was just kidding, Jazz."

He could feel her body quaking as her giggles subsided. "Coulda fooled me."

"You know that call stole most of my time to spend with you."

Jazz held her a little closer. "The wise 'bot can make do wit'out y' for awhile longer."

"And I forgot to ask Optimus."

"About what?"

"You coming with us on the mission to Mars. I guess we'll have to wait until we hear back from Wes." His spark dropped. Jazz had hoped that Optimus needing her help would deter her from wanted to go to Mars. "You said you wanted to ask me something. Do you want to talk now or after your shift?" Her fingers were running over his hood in small circles, but he barely registered the sensations or her question.

He would talk to Optimus later about allowing her to accompany Jetfire on the mission. Yes, she would be upset about having to stay behind, but Jazz knew Optimus would agree with him about it being too dangerous. Watching out for yourself in a potentially hazardous place was difficult and Rachel would be a liability to the mission. Jetfire couldn't watch out for himself, keep an optic on her and gather the information he needed. Jetfire had to realize that even though she would be useful it was too dangerous for her.

She was looking at him curiously and he realized she had asked him a question. "I'll come find y' when my shift is done. Y' think y'll be in the med bay?"

"Probably… Is something wrong, Jazz?"

"No, I'll come find y' later." Later after he talked to Optimus.

"Uhm…okay."

He waited until she was gone before he opened a link to Optimus Prime. "Is the Secretary on the videolink, Jazz?"

"No, but I wanted t' talk t' y' about Jetfire's mission t' Mars."

"That will have to wait until after we talk with the Secretary and hopefully Earth's leaders about the Allspark and the danger from the Decepticons. If the situation goes somewhat smoothly, then Jetfire and I will work on a mission plan to Mars."

"That's kinda what I wanted t' talk t' y' about." She was going to be disappointed, but she would be safe. "I think it's t' dangerous for Rachel and I'd like y' t' reconsider about lettin' her go on the mission."

----

"Until we can discuss this with the Council, I would like to keep information about the Autobots and Decepticons on a need-to-know basis."

Optimus Prime nodded to the videolink. "I agree, Mr. President, but I would prefer that the meeting not occur here at the Ark for security reasons."

I couldn't help but feel a little overwhelmed about the entire situation. I stood on top of Optimus Prime's desk flanked by Jetfire and the Autobot leader in a direct conference call with the President of the United States. An hour after the call with the Secretary, I was paged to Optimus' office to speak to the President and discuss a meeting with the United Nations Security Council that would convene in under twenty-four hours. A meeting that I would need to address and explain the current situation with the Allspark and the threat the Decepticons posed to the world.

I have never felt so small in my life.

"I didn't think you would." The President gave a wry laugh and pointed to the desk I was standing on, "It would be damned hard just to explain the size of the furniture there. Wes and I have come up with a somewhat neutral meeting spot that would ensure the Council's safety and accommodate you and your men, Optimus. The USS Ronald Reagan is heading back to its base in California right now - it's about 350 miles northeast of Honolulu. Military planes coming and going wouldn't draw much notice and with four acres of flight deck there should be plenty of room for everybody."

Optimus chuckled, "That sounds perfect Mr. President. How many of my Autobots would you like me to bring?"

"Well, not your entire army, I don't want to overwhelm the Council right off. Couple officers and a few soldiers? Let them get a taste of what your force is made of? But I leave the choice up to you. I'm going to have my hands full with Council members, their security and translators… Not to mention the inevitable questions about why this wasn't brought up before. Looks like we both have our work cut out for us."

An idea popped to mind that might make his job a little easier. "If I may, Mr. President?" I cleared my throat and stepped forwards, "I think I have a solution for you wanting to keep everything on a need-to-know basis."

All optics and eyes were on me as I fished my wireless Teletraan 1 earpiece out of my pocket and held it up. "I've designed a communications device that could be programmed to work as a multilingual translator. It would eliminate the Council's need for translators and cut down on the number of people who would know about the Autobots existence."

I got an approving look from Optimus Prime.

"Well how many of those devices do you have, Dr. Milne?"

"They're fairly simple to make, I could have a number of them ready for the meeting tomorrow. How many would you need?"

"_We_ would need, Dr. Milne. You're a part of this Council as well. Lets see here… We'd need one for me, Wes, the five permanent members and Japan. You have that many on hand?"

"I'll easily have eight ready for the meeting."

"And they'll be able to translate everything?"

"Yes, sir."

"I appreciate that, Dr. Milne." The President looked to Optimus Prime. "If I could make a final request, Optimus?"

"Yes, Mr. President?"

"If you and your men could hold off on landing until everyone else arrives…"

"We will deliver Dr. Milne before the delegates arrive and stay clear of the air space until you give us the signal, Mr. President."

"Good. I look forward to meeting all of you tomorrow afternoon in person."

The videolink was cut and Optimus Prime turned to me. "Thank you, Rachel. I'm sure that will make the President's job easier for tomorrow."

I blushed at his praise. "You're welcome, Optimus, but I need to ask a small favor."

"What can I do?"

"I can I get a ride to New Portland? I need to buy eight cell phones."

----

The radio was on low and I was humming to the song playing as I sat at my desk in the med bay surrounded by tools and cell phone parts. I had four of the multilingual translators completed and two more were downloading a translator program that I had created specifically for them. Basically, it was a wireless cell phone on steroids: the wearer would be able to understand any language as if it was spoken in their native tongue. I decided to call them 'Cyber Babelfish' as an homage to Douglas Adams' 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy', but I was fairly sure the reference would be lost on the members of the Security Council. Wheeljack thought that was an appropriate name for them after he looked up the reference on the internet.

The Autobot engineer had stopped working on Skywarp's leg to see what I was doing and was fascinated by ingenuity of the language program. Wheeljack already knew about - and tried to dissect - my earpiece back when I made it and found the design and function impressive. Being an engineer from Earth or Cybertron, we had a deep appreciation for the elegance of science and technology. He had asked what they were for, but I didn't answer him out loud. Instead I resorted to telling him over a secure line through Teletraan 1's Communication systems to keep our resident attitude problem with wings in the dark.

As I was finishing up the seventh earpiece, my mind started to wander into territories that I wasn't looking forwards to dealing with. Like finding out if I offended Jazz. His shift in Communications would end in less that thirty minutes and then we would be able to talk. It was less than twenty-four hours ago that he had asked me if we could go somewhere and talk, less than twenty-fours hours ago that we had said anything to each other in over a week… and about six hours ago I had managed to upset him somehow.

I sighed as I snapped outer casing of the 'Cyber Babelfish' earpiece together - only one more to go and then I'd need to get everything ready for my presentation tomorrow. I had decided to use visual means to explain about the 'radioactive object' and what its role was with Earth. Jetfire had created some very nice computer generated displays depicting the depth and location of the Allspark and I knew we had graphs about the low level radiation readings and their exponential increase over the next thirty-five days. Talking to the Security Council wouldn't be difficult. Demonstrating what will happen as the Allspark rose to the surface wouldn't be that difficult. Explaining that giant alien robots lived on Earth and were fighting other, but evil, giant alien robots on Earth would be difficult. But I hoped beyond hope that no one would bring up the theological aspect of the whole affair. I would have an easier time training a wombat on how to create and magnetize carbon nanotubing than explain to the world's leaders that the deity of a technological advanced race of aliens 'seeded' the Earth with an object that released primordial radiation to create life and watch us grow like a jar of sea-monkeys or a tabletop terrarium.

I was starting to feel worn out from the day's events and with the final 'Cyber Babelfish' finished and downloading the translator program, I started organizing the files and graphs that I thought I might need for the presentation. A myriad of technicalities started to pop into my mind – like what was I going to wear, what if they don't have the proper audio-visual equipment that I need, how I wish I had bought a laser pointer because I missed the one I had when I worked at Kirtland National Labs, and the fact that I'd never been on a boat before and would I get sea sick…

Wheeljack had gone into one of the storage closets leaving me alone with the quiet Seeker and I could feel his optics on me as I cleaned the leftover cell phone parts and tools off my desk. I didn't look up at him as I stowed my tools away, "You need something, Skywarp?"

"What is all that for?"

"I'm planning on taking over the Decepticon base by strategically placed cell phones loaded with Hannah Montana ringtones and setting them off every four-point-one minutes until Megatron capitulates to painting himself apricot and joining an off-Broadway showing of 'Cats'."

He didn't say anything and I couldn't help but smirk as I sorted the pieces of cell phone bits into 'useable' and 'junk' piles. Let him digest that for a while.

Laughter erupted from Wheeljack who must have returned just as I mouthed off to Skywarp. I looked up and grinned at him. He was in the doorway and guffawing, his vocal processors flashing rapidly in near constant bursts of white light.

"How long did it take you to look that up on the internet, 'Jack?"

"2.347 nano-kliks. But your plan might actually work. What character would Megatron have to play? 'Mungojerrie' or 'Grizabella, the Glamour Cat'? I think he'd do well as 'Grizabella'."

My nice little piles of cell phone bits went scattering in every direction as I busted up laughing at Wheeljack's instant knowledge and random appreciation of musicals. We stood there laughing until Ratchet came out of his office wondering what all the noise was while a confused Skywarp glowered at us. Ratchet gave us a level look, "Did I miss something?"

Wheeljack stopped laughing just long enough to give Ratchet a somewhat serious response. "Rachel has come up with an ingenious plan to stop the Decepticons."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. What do you think about Megatron in an apricot colored feline costume and singing the tune 'Memories'?"

The look on Ratchet's face was priceless as he looked up the references, "'Cats'? Hmmm… I think he'd fit better in 'West Side Story'."

I looked up at him confused and still giggling, "Why?"

One of the most evil smiles I have ever seen crossed his face as he folded his arms over his chest plate and turned to Skywarp, "'When you're a jet, you're a jet all the way'."

I sat down hard in my chair and cackled in laughter, while Wheeljack burst out with another loud guffaw and the ever-grumpy Ratchet was sniggering. It took awhile before the laughter died, especially when every dark glare from the irritable Seeker sent us into another fit of fiendish snickering. I opened the top drawer on my desk and swept the random parts into it as I tried to stop giggling. I'd organize them later, "I'm too tired to think anymore."

A still giggling Wheeljack brought over a box to store the 'Cyber Babelfish'. "You have everything ready for tomorrow? We're counting on you to make us look good."

I carefully placed each piece in the box as he held it open. "You better hit the wash racks and polish up then, because I think they're going to look at me like I have three heads when I explain everything."

Ratchet picked up one of the 'Cyber Babelfish' to examine and turned it over in his hand, "You'll do just fine, Rachel. You handled yourself very well when you first got here and gave your presentation about the nanites in front of all of us."

I looked up at the two of them and smiled. "I could rattle for hours about Nanotechnology and I'm fairly sure I can explain you guys… It's the other parts that I'm worried about… Anyways, either of you coming along?"

Ratchet nodded and put the device into the box, "As the CMO I am required to go."

"You realize you'll have to smile, Ratchet."

"Yeah, no scarin' the humans, Doc." Jazz stood in the doorway watching us. I peeked around Wheeljack as he closed the box and set it on a table. My stomach filled with nervous butterflies, but he was wearing his disarming smile and he spoke in his naturally sing-song voice.

"Anything else you need me for, Ratchet?"

The grumpy medic waved me off with a hand. "No, get out of here."

I grabbed my wireless Teletraan 1 and waved to them. "See you in the morning!" I smiled nervously at Jazz as I walked to the doorway and he held the door open for me. Things couldn't be that bad if he was smiling.

The door to the med bay shut and we stood there and looked at each other. The nervous butterflies inside me felt like they were trying to burst out if I opened my mouth. Seconds ticked by and I finally looked away. "So… where do you want to go? It's supposed to be a warm night if you want to go and look at the stars…"

"Have y' eaten yet?" I looked back up at him and shook my head.

His smile took on a mischievous twist, "Let's grab somethin' from the lounge and head back t' my room?"

I smiled at him, "Okay."

----

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	12. Chapter 12 Minutes to Midnight part one

As always constructive criticism is always welcomed. Reviews given much love! Please let me know if you like the story!

Story Arc 7

**Chapter 12 – Minutes to Midnight part one**

On the farthest edge of the universe lay the empty galaxy, Corona-Borealis. Memories of what the galaxy held had long passed into oblivion and only the ancient and dark world Tycho in the Caelus System was allowed glimpses into its once vibrant history. Torn apart quintillions of years ago by wars, Tycho and its few remaining inhabitants were the last hope this universe had against total annihilation. Its suns having reached super nova long before the rest of the universe had expanded, the once vibrant and glorious civilizations favored by the Creator of all life fell to invasions from the Children of Chaos.

Tycho cried out into the night skies for mercy. They prayed for their Creator to come and help them vanquish the marauding aliens. They whispered into the bleak ether for salvation as all they knew and loved fell to dust. And when they truly felt all hope was lost, an answer came from the Creator_: You are my chosen few. You will be my Guides. I will show you the way so you may show my Children the way when I call for you. I will protect you from the oblivion that waits to claim this universe and in exchange you will help protect my Children from the oblivion that Chaos brings. When the final battle starts again, you will be my Sentinels; you will be the new Guardians of all that I give life..._

From deep inside the caverns of Tycho that the Guides had created for protection, one was awoken from his eternal sleep by the Creator's call. A Light appeared and unfolded as the being within stepped out of its corona. "I, Kestral, have come as you called."

_You are needed again, but now I ask that you save two of my Children. _

"I live to serve and I serve to live."

_Time is not on our side. I will give you what you returned with in order to help them._ The Creator reached out to him and gave him the way.

"But they are so young."

_Chaos had done this before and will do this again. The Twelve are waiting for you and the Three that Seek still gather the Artifacts. You will find all on Terra. _

"I live to serve and I serve to live." Kestral glided across the cavern to a mostly empty hanger. The few ships that were moored there had heavy battle damage, but the Creator touched his ship and it shone like a new star as he boarded. He set a course to the Milky Way galaxy and opened the first tesseract between Tycho and Terra.

* * *

"Have y' eaten yet?" I looked back up at him and shook my head.

His smile took on a mischievous twist, "Let's grab somethin' from the lounge and head back t' my room?"

I smiled at him, "Okay."

"So how was the rest of y're day?"

"Well," Hopefully this would be a good segue for me to ask him what I did to upset him earlier. "I got to talk to the President of the United States, I was drafted to give the presentation to the UN Security Council tomorrow to inform them about the emergence of the Allspark. And then I get the unenviable position to explain that there is an intergalactic fight happening right here on Earth involving the Autobots and the Decepticons, and that the moment the Allspark reaches the bottom of the Pacific Ocean we will be fighting for the survival of Earth." I looked up at him as we neared the lounge. "Feel like trading places with me?"

Jazz laughed. "I would, but I've been conscripted t' join y' on the trip."

"That's a plus to the trip then." I smiled tiredly, "Who else is going besides you and Ratchet?"

"As far as I know - Optimus, Jetfire, Mirage and Sunstreaker."

"Sounds like a decent showing of the Autobots." The whole situation didn't seem half as daunting now and I felt much better knowing he would be there with me.

The lounge was filling with off-duty mechs and I could smell fresh pizza along with high-grade energon; it was the infamous Autobot movie night and I realized that I wouldn't get much of a chance inside to ask Jazz if I upset him earlier. I reached out and put my hand on his leg to stop him from entering the lounge just yet. "Jazz?"

He gave me a confused looked, "Somethin' wrong, Rach?"

"I, uh…" I looked at the floor quickly. "Did I do something to upset you earlier?"

He tilted his head to one side and moved out of the way for some mechs intent on getting good seats. "When?"

"Back in Communications…You stopped smiling at me."

He reached down and slipped his fingers under my chin, bringing my face up to look into his visor. "Y' didn't do anythin' wrong, Rach. I was jus' distracted and I didn't mean t' frown, especially at y'."

I smiled weakly up at him, "Really?"

"Yes, really. Now let's get somethin' t' eat before they empty the dispensers.

Unfortunately, getting something to eat and leaving wasn't that easy. We were roped into joining the monthly movie night madness and were forced into finding a seat. I sat up on Jazz's shoulder nibbling on pepperoni pizza while he sipped a cube of high-grade. At least from this perch I could whisper directly into his audios. I smiled wickedly at some of the ideas that came to mind with the prospect of whispering to him – like things to make him laugh at inappropriate moments. I couldn't get too risqué with my comments since Sideswipe sat down next to us after starting the movie and was instantly shoved into Jazz's side by Sunstreaker as he fought for room on the Autobot sized couch.

First movie up was the original 'War of the Worlds', which was one of my favorites. Technologically advanced Martians invading Earth intent on destroying everything had me smiling, but Jazz was frowning at it. I watched him for a few moments until he turned to look at me, his smile returning quickly. I pulled my wireless earpiece out of my pocket and leaned into whisper in his audio receptor. "What's wrong?"

"_Nothin's wrong."_

"Liar. What's wrong?"

"_Nothin' at all."_ He gave me a sly look.

"Why won't you tell me?"

"_There is nothin' wrong, Rach."_

"Why were you frowning, then?"

"_I was?"_

I nodded before whispering back, "Yes."

"_News t' me." _

I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed. "You're impossible."

We watched the rest of the movie in silence besides the murmuring of the other mechs as they commented on silly things like the weapons used by the Martians and the complete disregard of aerodynamics in the shape and form of their ships. I was always amazed at the mechs' responses about Earth cinema and the lack of suspended disbelief they showed. A movie wasn't good if it wasn't able to wrap me up in its story, and the second movie always did just that.

"Oh crud." I murmured as Sideswipe held up the next DVD case.

"Y' okay, Rach?" Jazz gave me a concerned look.

I cuddled closer to him, "This movie always scares me."

By the end of the movie, I had proven to him and the Twins just how much 'Alien' scared me. My cringing and squeaks in fear earned a mischievous look for Sideswipe and I informed him in icy cold seriousness that if he tried anything, I would help Ratchet reformat him into the household appliance du jour. Jazz just gave him a look and said that Sideswipe wouldn't be that mean to me because of all the times I helped put him and Sunstreaker back together and intervened with Ratchet for their sakes. The red warrior nodded making me believe that he was going to be nice on his own accord… that was until I saw the look Jazz was giving him. I just shook my head and whispered into Jazz's audio receptor reminding him about wanting to go somewhere and talk.

We finally made it back to his quarters. No more shifts to keep us busy and away from each other. No more silly arguments over Seekers stuck in the med bay. No more emergency battles, or radiation signatures, or world leaders. We were tired, but not like last night when Jazz fell asleep with an energon cube in his hand.

"So what distracted you?" I asked him as he set me down and the door to his quarters shut. If I was going to get a semi-straight answer I needed to try and throw him off guard.

Jazz wandered over to his stereo and put a quiet instrumental piece on. "Hmm? When?"

I stood in the center of his room and watched him move about. "In Communications… you said you were distracted by something. What was it?"

He turned some to look at me, "Y're not goin' let this go, are y'?"

"Not until you tell me what it was."

He shook his head, "Prowl reminded me t' keep an optic on Communications."

I gave him a dubious look, "And during the movie?"

"I didn't even realize I was frownin'."

I sighed. Prowl over a comlink might make him frown some, but that doesn't account for his attitude when he was frowning.

"Hey now. It's not that big of a deal."

If it wasn't a big deal then why did I feel the cold behind his frown in Communications gnawing at my insides? "So what did you want to talk about?"

He sat down on the edge of his recharge berth and motioned for me to come to him. "About the last week."

I walked over and he picked me up and held me close, "You're upset because you and most of the Autobots don't think we should waste the time on repairing Skywarp. You think we should just hand him back to the Decepticons as he is and let them deal with him. And you're mad because he uses me to rile you up whenever he can. That about cover it?"

Jazz looked at me for a moment, so I continued. "Ratchet told me about what happened in the med bay and I remember hearing about that fight where Skywarp told you he killed me. I know he's your enemy and has been for a very long time. I know you're uncomfortable because I'm working in close quarters with him. But I also know that Ratchet won't stand by and watch another mech suffer or die, be it Autobot or Decepticon. And I agree with that belief."

"Rachel…"

"They left him back there to die. Megatron abandoned him there on the field and from what I've learned about this war is that Decepticons don't care about wounded mechs left on the battlefield. It they weren't strong enough to walk away from the battle then they don't deserve to be part of the Decepticon ranks. So if we sent him back to Megatron like he was, do you really think they would have helped him?" I shivered as I remembered what the dying Decepticons looked like and sounded like.

Jazz held me a little tighter, "I can't help but worry about y' bein' safe wit' him around."

"Ratchet, Wheeljack and Jetfire are in there with me so I'm rarely left alone in the med bay and I have a feeling that I'm fairly safe around him. I know that doesn't take away your worry, but there are reasons why I think he's harmless."

"Like?"

"I can't tell you everything that is going on because I promised him I wouldn't. I know he's very lonely and depressed without Starscream or Thundercracker. He's stopped shooting his mouth off to us and either stares at the wall or stares at us while we work."

"Y're right, it doesn't make me worry less."

"I don't know what else to say about that." I gave a halfhearted shrug and rested my head on Jazz's hood. The strong and soothing cadence of his spark could easily lull me to sleep. I started to trace lazy circles over his hood, letting my fingers idly dance over his chest. "You were really adorable last night passed out with the energon cube. Leaning against the wall and barely sitting on the edge."

He chuckled, "Yeah, I didn't think I was that tired."

"You know…" I looked up at him and spoke very softly, "I was just going to leave you a note saying I came by and found you asleep… but I stayed just in case you woke up," I turned to look away, letting my hair fall into my face. "Probably not the brightest of ideas, huh?"

His grin faded quickly, "Huh? Why do y' think that?"

"You might have squished me and you didn't say if you minded me staying here…"

"Rachel," His fingers were under my chin and he brought my face around to look at him. "I liked findin' y' here curled up wit' me."

There was the tiniest twitch from his lips as I pushed my hair behind my ear and I felt a slight system change from him, "Really?"

That disarming smile returned to his face, "Yes, really. Matter of fact, that was somethin' I was goin' t' ask y' about."

"Oh?"

"Y're welcome t' stay in here wit' me if y' want t', and I promise t' not squish y'."

I blushed and dropped my head, "You are aware that recharge berths aren't the most comfortable thing to sleep on for humans."

"I think I can find somethin' t' remedy that."

"So… are you asking me to stay tonight?"

"Yes."

I snuggled up across his chest, "Okay, but I have to be up early to get ready for tomorrow."

* * *

Torrents of salty ocean water cascaded over the entrance like a glistening aqua curtain as the flight deck opened, slowly revealing the clear blue skies of Earth from beneath its wet fingers. The Air Commander leapt into the air and transformed, gracefully cutting through the trickling strands of water that still dripped over the flight deck. He fed extra power into his thrusters and put as much distance between himself and Nemesis as he could; he needed to be free of that claustrophobic feeling that suddenly gripped him as he worked to seal up the wound in his wing. He had hoped being focused on his repairs would help him forget, for just a little while, the long buried feelings and raw anger that Megatron had brought to the surface. Instead, it made the purple titanium walls close in on him until he swore he could hear every noise in Nemesis, from the cadences of every mech's spark in recharge to the hum of the garbage compactor consoles on deck level 121.

Flying was one of the small pleasures he still had in life, but even with the cold air that rushed over his body as he pierced through the clear sky like a red arrow, the emptiness he felt inside killed any relief from his flight. He made a 90° turn and dove straight for the ocean below like a predatory bird diving for its prey. He threw himself into a rapid barrel roll, spinning almost uncontrollably as the cerulean ocean accelerated towards him. With only feet to spare, he pulled out of the dive and grazed the surface of the water; the wake of his engines sending plumed waves out behind him and a shower of water across his body.

Only two other beings in the universe shared his skill and grace in the skies... and they weren't around to appreciate his prowess in the dive. He soared off into the sky as the cold air turned the water that had sprayed over his frame into icy streaming droplets. Starscream was alone in the heavens where he, Thundercracker and Skywarp had reigned supreme. The silence during his flight pressed heavily on his audio receptors and spark, and the red Seeker's anger returned with a vengeance.

Other than pride and anger, the arrogant Air Commander would never let any emotions show through. Emotions were a sign of weakness. Emotions would preoccupy your mind and would get you killed. Feelings for another being, be it love or friendship, would most certainly be used against you. Just like it had been on the day the Academies were destroyed. There were many, many times when mechs thought they could blackmail him or the others because of their friendship… it would only take a handful of meetings in empty hallways and Skywarp's twisted pranks to impress upon the mech that messing with them was a dangerous and often deadly path.

He continued to roll through the skies, pushing his body to its limits as he fought with his emotions. He felt outraged, furious, mad, angry, infuriated, bitter and at the very bottom of the jumbled emotions was a feeling he tried to push away. Sadness. It was a logical response… _for anyone else but him_. Yet, the more he pushed at it, the more it seeped into his processors. It was worse than any physical pain he ever experienced. He tried to deny its existence, but it only grew worse. He screamed into the heavens until his vocalizer shorted, but it didn't relieve any of the pain he felt inside. The very core of his spark was in _agony_.

Starscream banked to the left and headed towards land and the Space Bridge. He needed it operational so he could return to Cybertron and give Skywarp a proper burial. He had gathered a few things from their rooms to set up a memorial for his dead best friend: a handful of holopictures of them as younglings to when they received their medals of achievement from the Iacon Academies, his awards for breaking every record in the Fighters Academy, and his grease gun. The three of them had kept the guns as mementos from when they first met each other, and it seemed fitting that Skywarp should pass on to Primus with the small gun by his side. And although he did not have the body of his best friend to place in the grotto, he had his wing safely tucked away in his subspace. The red Seeker had taken time to carefully clean the wing, each brush of the polishing cloth bringing back memories of when the three of them got their first alternate forms. More memories flooded to the surface of his processors as he removed the dirt from the battlefield off the black and purple wing, and more vows that he would make Megatron pay.

Within minutes he was transforming and landing in front of the Space Bridge and the lone guard watching it. There were a series of scorch marks across the entrance and the main control panel had taken a hit. He headed straight to the panel and pried it open, scowling as he picked through the mess of melted wires and chips. It was going to take awhile to repair the damage, but it would be operational without a trip back to Nemesis for supplies.

The Cyclonus' optics nearly exploded from his faceplate as the Air Commander landed and walked towards the Space Bridge. He drew himself up to his full height and saluted briskly, ignoring the pain from the blast wounds in his back and torn rotors. It wasn't an everyday occurrence for the Decepticon Air Commander to appear. "All hail Megatron!"

Starscream turned and gave the guard a cold glare. _Slag Megatron_. He wanted to tell the guard just where he could stick his hail but decided against it. He needed to focus on fixing this mess and getting back to Cybertron, not tearing one of Megatron's faithful supporters to pieces. The waved off the groundpounder with one hand and turned back to the open panel in hopes the cannon fodder would leave him alone to work…_Wait_. This was a flier. _Why was there a flier out here guarding the Space Bridge?_

The Seeker turned around and looked at the still saluting flier, "Why are you out here?"

Oh, Primus! The Air Commander walk talking to him! "I'm here to guard the Space Bridge, sir!"

Starscream gave Cyclonus a level look, "I can see that. Who ordered you to stand guard?"

"Lord Megatron, sir!"

"Fliers are not supposed to be on ground duty." He pulled out a duty roster and pulled the first two groundpounders on the list to come relieve the flier. "As soon as the next guards show up you are to return to base and get repaired."

Cyclonus looked the battered Air Commander over; it looked like the Seeker needed the repairs more than he did. "But, sir, I don't mind ground duty. I'm doing my part for the greater good of the Decepticons."

One optic ridge rose to peer at the flier as he deadpanned, "The greater good of the Decepticons."

"Yes, sir!"

He sent the order back to Nemesis and stowed the duty roster. "Why?"

"Sir?"

"Why fight for the Decepticons and not the Autobots?"

"We must fight the accursed Autobots –"

Starscream glared at Cyclonus, "That's not what I asked. Why do you fight for the Decepticons? What is in for you?"

The young flier tilted his head to one side as he thought about the answer, "Well, sir, I'm a flier class and the elite fliers are in the…"

"So you joined the Decepticons to become an elite flier?" Starscream rubbed his forehead with his fingers, "You don't become an elite flier just by joining the Decepticons. It takes training and skill and the will to succeed at any cost. You work at it until you're too tired to fly, and then you push yourself further. When your energy levels are setting off alarms, you keep going. Becoming one of the elite is about brutal work and the unrelenting desire to be the best." He turned away from the flier and went to work on the open panel, "It's not like joining a club and they just give you the title of elite."

"But isn't that why everyone joins? To become one of Megatron's elite and destroy the Autobot resistance?"

Starscream didn't answer him as he worked on replacing the melted wiring.

"Sir?"

He looked up into the blue skies above as he tried to summon patience, "Yes?"

"Were you an elite flier before you joined?"

"Yes."

"Why did you join the Decepticons?"

He shuttered his optics, "It is a long story."

"Did you join with Lieutenant Commander's Thundercracker and Skywarp?" There was no hope for shutting the mech up now.

"Yes."

Cyclonus looked at the damaged Space Bridge, "He's been gone for over an Earth month. Is he coming back soon?"

Starscream grabbed a handful of the destroyed wires and yanked them forcefully from the console. _Why wouldn't this guy shut the frak up?_

The helicopter turned to face the Air Commander, "Does that mean the rumors about you and the Lieutenant Commanders being friends is true, sir? I've seen your trine in the skies leaving for battles against the Autobots. You're _amazing_. I guess that's why I want to be an elite so much… to be like you. I don't have a trine and even if I were in one, it wouldn't be as close as yours. I mean, I joined the Decepticons by myself; I didn't have close friends back on Cybertron to join with me, which I guess is good thing since the war claims so many people. Most of the people I knew back home died and sometimes I feel lonely knowing that I don't have a family to go back to. You're lucky that you still have your friends and aren't alone. But I think it would be very hard for you if you lost them, wouldn't it? Because then you would have to train a new guy to work in your trine…"

He tried to ignore the helicopter. _I don't have a family to go back to._ Thundercracker and Skywarp were his family. _You're lucky that you still have your friends and aren't alone._ But he was alone. Skywarp was gone - that's why he was here fixing the Space Bridge so he could take him home for burial. And who knew where Thundercracker had disappeared to on Cybertron. He wouldn't have deserted them, so there had to be a logical reason why TC hadn't been able to contact him. He could be hurt, or captured by the Autobot resistance, or maybe he already found out the truth behind that day and had tried to do something about it.

He would find the answers once he went back to Cybertron, but there were still some questions that could only be answered on Earth. He knew for certain one side of the story about that day, and if Megatron was telling the truth – which there was a possibility that he was just trying to rile him enough to attack the warlord – he knew that side of the story, but there was a third side that would elude him unless he asked the right person. Prime would tell him the truth about that day, he had no doubt in his mind that the Autobot leader would not lie to him about something that was such a black mark on Cybertronian history. He _could_ take a detour before going home and ask about that day...but would the Autobots tell him if the resistance had captured Thundercracker?

And yet he was still reeling from what Megatron had told him. It was almost as if the truth was too big of a burden for him to carry alone; that he needed to tell someone about it before he found Thundercracker. Someone he could explain it to first, to prepare him before he told his best friend. Primus, he wished Skywarp was here with him! The black and purple Seeker would be furious too- who wouldn't be? But he would also be there to help search and tell Thundercracker what really happened.

But Skywarp was dead, and he was alone. He would be alone in searching for Thundercracker. He would never admit it out loud and he was trying to squash the thought as it rose in his mind… he was lost without them.

And without them there was no one else in the entire universe that he had ever been remotely close to and could call a friend…

… Except.

He finished the repairs quickly and looked at the over talkative mech who still hadn't shut up. "The next guard shift will be here in under a jour and you are to report immediately back to Nemesis-?" He motioned with his hand for the mech to respond to him.

The mech grinned in an almost maddeningly insane way. "Cyclonus, sir!" The Air Commander wanted to know _his_ name!

"Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

Starscream ran a few steps before leaping into the air and taking off. He would get some of his questions answered before he returned to Cybertron. As the Air Commander and Second in Command of the Decepticons rose into the blue skies and plotted a course to the north to see the last mech he had any connection to, he felt some relief in his spark.

And though he would never admit it, not even to Thundercracker, he wasn't sure if he was willing to send the annoying black and purple Seeker that he had called his best friend for millions of years back to Primus… yet.

* * *

Soundwave hovered over the spot where Nemesis' flight deck would raise from the ocean depths and sent his request again. Why wasn't he receiving a response?

The water below him started to roil and the spire of Nemesis' flight deck rose slowly. He floated down to the entrance of the deck and was surprised to be greeted with armed mechs with their weapons trained on him. "Explain situation."

An unknown soldier thrust his weapon at him, "Ask Megatron about your situation,_traitor_. Now move."

His visor flashed with an evil glint and he reached out to the mind of the mech telepathically, and started to pull his psyche apart microchip by microchip. The mech howled in pain and crumpled to the floor. His mechanical laugh made a few of the mechs around him back off, but some were undeterred. "We are to escort you to Megatron, Soundwave. It would be wise to follow us to him instead of forcing one of us to report that you are responding with hostility."

He looked at the mech before giving him a slight nod, "Suggestion acceptable."

Surrounded by a cadre of troops, he was taken to the control room where Megatron was waiting. There was scorch marks on the floor and a drying trail of energon that led back out the door of the room. The fusion cannon was raised and pointed at his chest the moment his escort cleared. "You dare to return, traitor?"

Soundwave squared his shoulders and was glad his masks covered his face to hide his confusion. "I am no traitor."

"Oh?" Megatron's optics narrowed at the dark blue mech. "And cavorting with those back-stabbing Constructicons does not label you as a traitor?"

Soundwave stood stock still as he processed the information. How were the Constructicons traitors? He just accompanied Hook to Cybertron for supplies under Megatron's orders. Did they steal the supplies and run off? Asking Megatron to explain what he meant was never a wise decision. "Constructicon Hook failed to return with supplies?"

The anger radiating off of Megatron made the lowly grunt escort back away from Soundwave. "No. He didn't return for any supplies!"

Now he was really confused, "Mission to gather supplies was a ruse?"

The fusion cannon hummed to life, "Do not play innocent with me!"

Soundwave pulled the supplies list data pad from his subspace and read the requisition out loud to Megatron, "As per order of Decepticon Lord Megatron."

The warlord stalked over to him and grabbed the data pad from his hands. "I did not order a supply mission from you. You abandoned the Decepticons over a quartex ago with the Constructicons!"

"Inconsistent with memory banks. I returned with you to Nemesis in need of repairs. Supplies were needed to repair forces. Hook stated I was malfunctioning-" It suddenly dawned on him that Hook doctored his memories. "Request permission for medic to analyze processors."

"Oh, I'll allow a medic access to your processors," Megatron's face split into a malicious smirk. "Activate your symbiotes Rumble and Frenzy."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." His chest plate slid open and the two smaller mechs came online and landed on the floor in front of Megatron and intoned in unison. "All hail Lord Megatron!"

The fusion cannon was humming in Rumble's face immediately, "Frenzy, tell me of the events for the past quartex or I will melt your twin into slag to fill the cracks in the floors on level 124!"

The little mech's optic band grew wide in fear, "I…uh..."

"NOW or I'll blast him into microparticles!"

"Uh, Soundwave was fighting the horde when that Autobot attacked us. And then we came back here for repairs and then were offline for awhile… and then Hook said Soundwave was malfunctioning again and some slag about internal repairs and how he was going to rat him out to you. And then we went to Cybertron for supplies, and Shockwave couldn't contact you but he ticked off Hook good by making him drag the supplies back through the Space Bridge in these carts. And then…" The little mech's face screwed up as he thought about it. "We came online a few jours ago alone, Soundwave guessed Hook finally did decide to leave him and come back here, and now we're here."

The cannon was shoved into Frenzy's face and the warlord glared at Rumble, "Is that true? Think carefully before you answer because if I find out either of you were lying I will destroy Soundwave slowly and take great enjoyment in watching you two suffer as your host bleeds to death."

"Y-yes, Lord Megatron. It's true! Except there was a show down between Hook and Shockwave and old 'Shocky put him in his place, but that's the only times were we online!"

The fusion cannon was lowered and Megatron looked between all three mechs, "Very well. I will accept that your story is true…for now."

He pointed to one of the grunt soldiers that escorted Soundwave. "You! Call for three medics to come here at once." He turned back to Soundwave. "I want the medics to run a diagnostic while they are working on you." Megatron's malicious smirk spread further across his faceplate. "That program you designed to purge the recent memories of Autobot prisoners? I think it's time we tested it. Just to make sure that Hook hasn't added any programming that would…compromise Nemesis' security. You can understand the reasoning behind this, can't you, Soundwave?"

He stood straighter even as he felt his symbiotes fear of what the situation entailed. "I understand, Lord Megatron."

* * *

The three medics flittered nervously back and forth between Soundwave and the main computer console as they ran the purging program through his memory banks. Megatron stood watching like a turbo-hawk over them and smirking with each jarring motion that ran through Soundwave's body as the program wormed its was through his processors. Unfortunately, everything the idiot Communication officer and his symbiotes had told him was proving to be true.

"Lord Megatron, the program is complete. The only memories that have been altered were the ones about him returning to Nemesis. There is no evidence of any further tampering." The medic looked up at the imposing Decepticon leader and tried to keep his voice from quivering. "Other than some minor repairs, he is fit for full duty." Blood red optics turned to glare at the impertinent medic. "Only- only if you think so, Lord Megatron. I just – I'm just, uh, if you want him fit, uh, he just needs some small repairs, and yes, he's… that is if you wish so, my lord." The medic cowered under the warlord's stare.

"Unhook him from the computer."

"R- right away, Lord Megatron!" The three medics never worked that fast in their entire existence.

The Decepticon leader watched them impatiently, but held his temper. There were other more important things that needed his attention now besides some whimpering medics. "Soundwave."

The dark blue mech stood from the chair he had been sitting on for the examination with a slight wobble, "Yes, Lord Megatron?"

"Activate Laserbeak. I have a mission for him…"

* * *

Hook smirked as he watched the lowly Decepticon medics fail to find the control devices or any of the programming that he had placed inside the dark blue mech. His face split in two with a wide malicious grin when Megatron welcomed the 'clean' Soundwave back into the Decepticon fold. His plan for an oblivious spy was working perfectly. He gave Scrapper a knowing look, "I told you it would work."

The Constructicon nodded to the engineer, "It's a shame that your work was used on such an incompetent fool like Megatron."

"With perfection as my muse, my work is never wasted."

"What about the symbiotes? Will we have access to them?" Scrapper glanced at Hook. "We do not need Laserbeak or Ravage giving intelligence about our whereabouts to Megatron."

"Just as Soundwave cannot use his telepathy on us, the symbiotes will not see us as any threat and ignore us completely." The green and purple engineer smiled smugly. "Now shall we repair our little Autobot toy and send him back as well?"

"Are you sure you can pull the steel wool over that Autobot medic's optics? He is not like those poor excuses Megatron has for medics. He is still the best doctor Cybertron has seen in quite some time." Scrapper crossed his arms over his chest plate.

"Are you doubting my skills, again?"

The green and purple bulldozer frowned, "I am not. I am just pointing out that you are up against a mech who would rival your skills."

"I will prove to you that my skills are superior even to his." The two walked over to where the other Constructicons were toying around with their Autobot captive.

"I look forward to seeing that."

* * *

"I know this is very last minute, but there has been a change of plans, Rachel." The Secretary of Defense looked weary from his end of the videolink. "There are already delegates on board the USS Ronald Reagan, so the President has asked that you arrive via a military jet instead of having Jetfire drop you off. I hope this doesn't upset your schedule too much, but unfortunately this is how things end up with Summits and emergency Council meetings. There is a flight waiting for you at the New Portland Airport to take you directly to the carrier."

"I'm basically ready, Wes. I've got the translators finished and it will take just a few minutes to check over my notes to verify I have everything I need. Are you at New Portland?"

"No, I'm in San Francisco waiting for the plane to refuel. I should be on board when you arrive, though."

"Okay. Is there anything I need to tell Optimus about the changes? It won't take Jetfire long to make it to the ship when the President calls, but is there a specific time I should tell them to be ready?"

"Not that I'm aware of, Rachel. But as I said earlier, these things are prone to change with a moments notice."

"I'll tell them to be on their toes for the call then."

"Sounds good, I'll see you in a few hours, Rachel. And don't worry, I know you'll do fine."

"Thanks, Wes. See you in a bit." The videolink ended and I ran over my notes on wireless Teletraan 1 and double-checked all of the information and graphs I had downloaded to use. "Crud, I should have asked about the audio-video equipment."

"Is there a problem, Rachel?" Jetfire walked into the med bay amid my rushing about.

"There has been a change of plans, Jetfire. They need me to travel on a military jet because there are delegates already on board the ship." I closed the wireless and set it on top of the box that held the translators. "Okay, presentation, translators, Teletraan… now me." I looked up at the gentle scientist. "Should I wear my black skirt and blouse or my navy pantsuit?"

Confusion fluttered over his faceplate at my question, "I'm not sure I understand what you are asking."

I laughed as I walked over to him and patted his leg, "Don't worry about it, Jetfire. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Good luck, Rachel."

I went back to my room and got changed: black skirt, white blouse and black blazer with my hair pulled back at the nape of my neck. Satisfied that I looked professional for the presentation, I slipped on the wireless earpiece and contacted Optimus Prime with the changes to he schedule.

"All right, Rachel. Good luck with the presentation."

"Thanks, Optimus. I'll see you and the others in a bit!"

Jazz met me by the entrance to the Ark, "Nervous?"

"A little. I'm more worried about the flight in the jet. I didn't do very well last time I flew in a jet."

He laughed as he transformed and I slid into his black leather interior. "At least this jet won't give y' any attitude."

"True. Maybe it was the snarky jet that made me sick and not the flight."

"Will y' do somethin' for me, Rach?"

"Anything."

"Keep a comlink open t' the Ark, or at least me? If somethin' happens t' the plane, I want t' be able t' find y' quickly."

"I will, but that just made me more nervous."

We talked the rest of the way to New Portland about what we thought the reactions of the delegates would be to the Autobots and how well they would handle –or believe- the information about the Allspark. But our trip ended too quickly, and I felt even more nervous as Jazz parked in a nearby lot. "This is going to sound silly, but I'm going to miss you even though we'll see each other in a few hours."

"I'll miss y' t', Rach. And y'll be fine on the flight. Jus' remember what Jets said about stoppin' the motion sickness. Deep calmin' breaths and relaxin' thoughts."

I kissed his steering wheel and climbed out of his drivers seat with my wireless Teletraan 1 and the box of the 'Cyber Babelfish'. I looked over at the drop off lanes for the guard who was supposed to pick me up and take me to my own personal ride in a military jet. "I wish I was going with you and Jetfire."

"I know, but y'll be fine."

I placed a lingering kiss on his roof, "I love you, Jazz. See you in a few hours."

"Love y' t', Rachel. Knock 'em dead."

* * *

The last time I was in an F-15 fighter was an experience I will never forget. This time, I was strapped in and wore a helmet. There was no golden glass shell closing in on me. No red lights flashing on the console making snarky comments. I shivered in the seat and started the deep breathing exercises that Jetfire said would stop the motion sickness the moment the jet started to move. This was not a good sign.

The pilot was quiet, only speaking when he talked to I assumed the flight tower, leaving me in my own little corner of panic inside the jet.

"_Y' okay, Rach?"_

I was so glad that I wore the earpiece as I whispered in Cybertronian to my savior in the ether, "No. Clouds are moving too fast and I feel like I left most of my internal organs back on the tarmac."

"_I'm trackin' y' on Teletraan 1, y're about an hour away from the ship."_

"This would have taken Jetfire minutes."

"_I know, Rach. But y're doin' fine. Jus' keep breathin' and remember that I'll be seein' y' soon."_

"I'm trying."

The pilot's voice came over the headphones in the helmet, "Did you say something, Dr. Milne?"

"Just going over my presentation in my head."

"_Love y', Rach."_

"Love you too, Jazz."

We flew past the ship once and the pilot's voice came over the headphones again, "This is going to get bumpy, Dr. Milne."

It wasn't 'bumpy'. It was **frightening.** The jet tipped back as it approached the flight deck; and the nano-klik the landing gear touched down with a bounce, the jet's tailhook caught the arrestor wires and came to a sudden stop. I wasn't prepared for such a rapid deceleration and it felt like my stomach was trying to exit through my mouth. There was a clunk sound to my right as a tech appeared and opened the canopy. I couldn't get out of the jet fast enough even with his help, and the moment my feet touched the deck so did my breakfast.

"Are you all right, ma'am?"

I gave the voice a shaky nod as I pulled a tissue from my pocket and wiped my mouth. "Sorry," I coughed realizing that one of these poor techs would have to clean up after me. "I don't do well on planes."

There were a few laughs, "You get used to the landings quickly."

"I don't want to get used to that."

My wireless Teletraan 1 and the box carrying the 'Cyber Babelfish' were retrieved from the jet and I was escorted across the flight deck to a man who I assumed was the captain and a group of his officers. "Glad you could make it, Dr. Milne. I'm First Officer Michael Crawford and I'd like to welcome you to the U.S.S Ronald Reagan."

I took his proffered hand with my unsteady one and gave him a weak handshake. "Very nice to meet you. I'm sorry about back there. I'm not used to flying."

We entered the ship and traveled down a few decks while I explained to the officer what I would need for my presentation, mostly monitor screens and a computer so I could hook up the wireless Teletraan. We stopped on the fourth deck and I was led into a completely empty light gray room that was not set up for any type of presentation. This wasn't right. The queasy feeling left quickly as the fingers of cold panic gripped my stomach. I pulled some of my hair that had fallen free of the clip over my earpiece as I tapped the volume and turned to face the Officer. "Where's Secretary Granger?"

Some of the men who had followed us from the flight deck filtered into the room. I stiffened uncomfortably as one approached me and took the wireless Teletraan 1 and my purse. I glanced at the wireless as the man walked away, "What is going on?"

"Dr. Milne, you have been declared an enemy of the state to the United States, and by executive order, under the United States Code Title 18, Chapter 115 of treason, I hereby place you under arrest until we reach port and can transfer you to the proper authorities."

My eyes widened and I opened my mouth to speak, but shut it quickly. My mind raced at the speed of light as the man holding my wireless Teletraan 1 stood next to the officer charging me. I tried to not glare or attract attention to the wireless. They obviously knew the laptop was important, but I needed to keep a calm face about the situation. Not that they would be able to access anything on it; it would take a Decepticon some serious work to crack the dialect it used – only two other beings in the entire universe could understand what it was - but I could not let them take it. I had to destroy it.

When I worked at Kirtland National Labs we had monthly training meetings to drill into us the importance of keeping your mouth shut. In case of a hostage situation, kidnapping, or taken as a prisoner of war, your answer to_everything_ was your name, rank, service number, and date of birth. If they interrogate you, you state your name, rank, service number, and date of birth. If they ask you if you're thirsty? Name, rank, service number, and date of birth. Smalltalk? The same. You said and did nothing but that. Over and over again.

I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. "Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."

I reached up and quickly pulled the earpiece free as it started to crackle and smoke and there was a loud pop from across the room as the wireless Teletraan 1's emergency protocol initiated, frying the hard drives and melting the circuit board.

I heard the earpiece hit the floor and then there was pain and darkness.

* * *

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Please tell me what you think?


	13. Chapter 13 Minutes to Midnight part two

**Chapter 13 – Minutes to Midnight part two**

"_I don't know what type of audio and video equipment you have for meetings, but I will need three large monitors for my presentation, eight smaller ones for each of the delegates and the President, and I'll need another computer to sync all the monitors with my presentation."_

Jazz leaned back in his seat at Communications with a wide grin as he listened to Rachel speak to the officer. _That's my girl_.

There were multiple footsteps entering an enclosed space but no one was speaking, and then the volume of the transmission increased dramatically.

_"Where's Secretary Granger?"_

He sat up straight in the chair as he heard a slight tremor in her voice and turned up the volume on his side of the connection.

"_What is going on?"_

He leaned into the console as the officer's voice came over the transmission.

_"Dr. Milne, you have been declared an enemy of the state to the United States, and by executive order, under the United States Code Title 18, Chapter 115 of treason, I hereby place you under arrest until we reach port and can transfer you to the proper authorities."_

His spark threatening to expel itself from his chest, Jazz punched open a comlink with Optimus Prime immediately. "I need y' down at the Com ASAP!"

"_Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."_

The line went dead.

"PRIME!" Jazz started to playback the transmission as Optimus and Prowl came rushing into Communications.

"Jazz? What's wrong?"

_"Dr. Milne, you have been declared an enemy of the state to the United States, and by executive order, under the United States Code Title 18, Chapter 115 of treason, I hereby place you under arrest until we reach port and can transfer you to the proper authorities."_

The Autobot leader listened intently to the transmission again while Jazz clenched and unclenched his fists in fury.

"_Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."_

"What is she saying at the end, Jazz?"

"I don't know!"

"I know someone who does," Prowl leaned over the console and pressed a button for the Ark's intercom system. "Sideswipe, report to Communications immediately."

"_Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."_

The red warrior jogged into the room with an overly sweet and innocent grin. "I know what you're going to say, Prowl, but this time I had nothing to do with-" He looked back and forth between Optimus Prime, Prowl and the enraged Jazz. "Uh, what's going on?"

_"Dr. Milne, you have been declared an enemy of the state to the United States, and by executive order, under the United States Code Title 18, Chapter 115 of treason, I hereby place you under arrest until we reach port and can transfer you to the proper authorities."_

Prowl gave him a level a not amused look. "I'll ask what you meant by that later," He pointed to the console. "What is she saying at the end?"

"_Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."_

Sideswipe's tilted his head and his optics widened. "Play that again."

"_Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland – 2757, February 19, 1983, clickik-click-whirl-ziiip."_

All optics were on him as he translated what she said. "Emergency protocol kill-switch autodestruct."

Optimus Prime crossed his arms over his chest. "Get Secretary Granger on the video-link for me, Jazz."

Jazz was punching buttons furiously as Sideswipe came to stand by him, "She destroyed the mini Teletraan?"

"It looks that way, Sideswipe." The Autobot leader faced the monitor. "The meeting was a trap, but why? Why would they want Rachel sent to the ship first?"

Prowl looked up at Optimus, "Since she destroyed the wireless Teletraan 1, it is obvious that it was not in her possession anymore and she was attempting to keep them from taking it. The government might be planning to use her as a negotiation chip to acquire our technology."

"I hope not."

"Where was she? Can't we go get her?" The red warrior peered at the console and then at the monitor as the link connected to Wes Granger's secretary.

The teary-eyed woman looked around quickly before pulling the videophone close to her and started speaking in a rushed hurried tone, "I'm supposed to report to my superior when you call."

"May I speak to the Secretary?"

The woman burst into a fresh set of tears and pulled the videophone down lower, "Wes had a heart-attack this morning and died on the way to the hospital."

"I'm very sorry to hear that, he was a good man."

She suddenly looked around her again and bit her lip, "I overheard the Joint Chiefs talking about having Dr. Milne in custody, and they're in a planning meeting with the President now. Please don't call back."

The video-link went black and Optimus slowly turned to Prowl. "Threat assessment, Prowl?"

"High risk. Due to our pursuits of peaceful negotiations, they know where we are. Giving consideration of the current state of affairs of this government and their heightened anxiety about attacks within the country's infrastructure, I estimate the probability of an attack to be ninety-five-point-two percent, and said assault within the next forty-eight to seventy-two jours. Ninety-seven-point-eight percent chance that they will attack the mountain first with an aerial assault followed by a ninety-point-two percent chance of a follow-up ground attack."

"Suggestions to avoid combat? I want no harm to come to the humans."

Just as if he was saying 'the sky is blue', the Tactician looked Optimus Prime in the optics, "We move the Ark."

Jazz's fist hit the console and he turned for the door, "I'm going t' get her."

"Jazz. You cannot attempt a rescue. Not with the situation as it is. I will not allow it."

"I'm getting her back. _With_ or _without_ y're permission, Optimus."

The Autobot leader reached out to him, "Jazz. Don't make this harder than it is. Rachel knows the risks of staying with us."

He spun around angrily, "That doesn't make it right. They're tryin' t' use her t' get t' us!"

"I'll go with him, Optimus," Sideswipe quickly piped in while Prowl gave the red warrior the 'you are not helping' glare. "We'll have her out of there in a few jours. No humans harmed. Maybe scared, but not harmed."

Optimus emphasized his previous statement. "I will not allow it."

Jazz turned away from them and headed towards the door.

"Jazz."

"I'm goin' t' get her back."

"Don't do this, Jazz." He made no move to stop and Optimus shook his head. "You leave me no choice, Jazz. You are relieved of duty and confined to quarters until further notice."

"Consider this my resignation then, Optimus."

Optimus let out a rare sigh and followed Jazz to the door with Prowl and a worried looking Sideswipe in tow. "Jazz."

Jazz had started to transform in the hallway when Prowl and Optimus grabbed him. The Tactician pulled a set of energy cuffs from subspace and restrained his hands behind his back. "You can return to your quarters or the brig. Your choice."

He glared at them and in under a nano-klik, the Saboteur had one hand free and Optimus was quickly grabbing at him again. Prowl brought a second pair of energy cuffs out of his subspace and Optimus opened a comlink to Ironhide. "I need you to prepare a secure cell in the brig."

"Tha' dirty Seeker try somethin'?" The Weapons Specialist's voice held a glint of amusement.

"No." Optimus looked at the bristling Saboteur as Prowl had the apprehensive Sideswipe hold on to both of Jazz's wrists as the second set of cuffs were clicked into place. "I need a cell to contain Jazz until he cools down."

"Jazz? Wha' fer?"

"We have a situation on our hands. Once you get a cell prepared and at least two guards for it, report to the conference room."

"Er, O-kay, Optimus."

The comlink was closed as Optimus made sure that Sideswipe had a firm grip on Jazz. "I wish you had not forced my hand in this matter, Jazz."

"Y' know y' can't hold me for very long, Optimus. There isn't a cell that was made that can hold me. And once I get free I'm goin' go get her back."

"I realize how you feel about this, but we can't risk an incident with the humans." He looked at Prowl and Sideswipe. "Lets get him down to Ironhide first before we inform the crew that we are on high alert."

The Autobot leader glanced down the hallway towards the Ark's entrance, "Then we will start emergency procedures to move the Ark."

* * *

"What do you mean we're leaving the planet?!"

"We're retreating?"

"What about the Decepticons?"

"Are we just going to sit back and let them have Earth?!"

Optimus Prime held his hands up to quiet the shocked and worried mechs. "We're not leaving the planet for long. Only until the situation at hand is resolved or we find a more suitable place to set down. We may not be able to get to all Decepticon attacks as quickly as we like, but we will try the best we can to keep protecting the Earth from Megatron."

Prowl brought up the plans for evacuation on the main screens in the conference room. "We've deployed numerous camera drones from Sky spy over this sector to keep watch for any attempt to attack the Ark by the humans. While preparations are being made to ready the Ark for lift off, Red Alert will guide a team to retrieve all cameras, proximity sensors and alarms in the area. We do not want any of our technology to fall into the wrong hands.

You will be divided into six separate teams to help prepare the Ark. Optimus Prime will have his team ready the bridge, manage Communications and prepare shields and defenses. Ratchet and Wheeljack will lead one team to secure the med bay and surrounding science labs. Ironhide's team will secure weapons storage and all supply and storage rooms on decks Gamma, Beta and Epsilon. My team will be running visual and structural scans on the entire hull of the ship, and the final team will be patrolling the surrounding area in groups of three. The safety of the Autobots and the Ark is our primary concern, and I want to avoid any confrontations with the humans."

The Tactician accessed a visual diagram on Teletraan 1's screens. "We will be taking the Ark into a high geocentric orbit above the Earth. From this position we will have a better view of where the Decepticons are planning to attack, but it will take us longer to get there. We will be preparing the mini-shuttles for short jumps to the surface, but it is of utmost importance that we keep the shuttles out away from the Decepticons.

We are counting on everyone to pull his weight to make this run as smoothly as possibly. We are on a strict time limit here, but we must not gloss over anything. No shortcuts. Slacking off and or misbehavior will be dealt with harsh consequences."

The group of Autobots murmured among themselves as Prowl handed out assignments. "You are also required to secure everything in your personal quarters before lift off. Is everyone clear on what their duties are?"

* * *

Space unfolded as the tesseract opened in a flash of deep blue light. Kestral stood in front of the enormous optical monitor scanning the area. Space was an ever-changing medium and stellar maps could become obsolete in the blink of light. Nebulas would birth new stars, galaxies would collide, stars would collapse into black holes, old stars would die in brilliant super novae that lit the heavens aglow with vibrant colors, systems would be destroyed by wars, young worlds would be destroyed by wayward interstellar phenomenon.

The optical monitor split in two, then split again and again in mitosis. The optical plasma screens created multiple magnified bubble-like pictures of the area surrounding the ship. Kestral watched with heady fascination as each new facet of the optical monitor brought the space from around the ship to his sight. Even one as old as he was, he still found awe in the beauty of the heavens. Kestral waved his hand over a controller to his side and areas in the cell-like monitors twinkled to life with the signs of primordial radiation. He glanced over the screens at the different signals; he was in the wrong part of space to see any of the signatures that belonged to him, but it warmed his inner light to see so many of his kind still existed. He surveyed the screens once more before letting each bubbles dissolve back into the one optical monitor.

The ship's fission reactors ignited as Kestral set coordinates for a nearby Warpgate. It would take many hyper-jumps and tesseracts before he reached the Virgo Supercluster, and he would need to alternate between folding space and using the Warpgates to keep the Children of Chaos from following him. So far his journey was quiet, but he knew they would come. They always found their way when it came time for the doors of oblivion to open.

Kestral just needed to keep them at bay until he reached Those Who Seek.

* * *

He sat in the back of the bar again, reading and rereading a handful of data pads that had become his current and only form of entertainment besides drinking and walking around the Fighting Academy. He hadn't tried to enter the Library again, but he did keep watch as the construction crews slowly plowed over the small entrance he had created. He left the Autobot resistance alone for the moment, but once he got a message to Starscream and Skywarp they were going in and opening that slagging door.

Thundercracker nursed his cube of energon as he read about the frantic race between the original twelve Seekers and the 'aliens' that Storm Flight mentioned. It was one ship against a multitude of the 'alien' vessels as they tore through the galaxy; and from what he could tell in the text, the 'aliens' relied on the Seekers to lead them to the artifacts.

He set the worn data pad down and rubbed his temples. The Space Bridge was still in disrepair and every time he went back to Decepticon Headquarters Shockwave would give him that creepy one-optic glare and say it still wasn't working. Thundercracker had half a mind to go repair it himself. He wasn't as adept with technology as Starscream was, but at least _something_ would be done about the slagging thing. Headquarters was also overcrowded now with all the recruits hanging around waiting for transport to Earth. Which explained why he was staying out of Iacon and spending most of his nights in the back booth of this bar in Neutral territory. At first the bar patrons were nervous that he was there, but slowly they relaxed and let the Seeker alone in his corner to read.

He still had not made any contact with Starscream or Skywarp and he had a growing suspicion that had to do with one of Shockwave's toys. He picked up the energon cube and swirled the thick liquid around in its container as he wondered what trouble his wingmates were causing back on Earth. He really didn't like Earth, and he had been longing to come home, but now that he was finally here… Home was not the same without 'Screamer and 'Warp. Zipping through the Towers of Iacon or gliding through the midnight blue skies just wasn't the same without them.

He put the cube back down without taking a drink and leaned back against the seat. There was no two ways about it… he was bored.

He picked the data pad back up and started to read through it once again. He'd leaf through it once more before he left, then probably go to the hotel down the street for the night. He didn't feel like flying back to Decepticon Headquarters tonight; and he definitely didn't feel like dealing with the one-optic freak right now.

"What are you reading?"

Thundercracker looked up from the data pad to find a femme in green and gray armor standing there and smiling at him. "A book."

Thoughtful azure optics gave him a slight exasperated look, "I can see that. What book are you reading?" She reached out and pushed the data pad up to see the title. "_'The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight'_, what's a Seeker?"

He eyed the femme warily, "The Seekers were the best warriors and brilliant minds in the history of Cybertron."

"Oh," She sat down in the seat across from him still smiling. "So is it a good read?"

He gave a noncommittal grunt, picked up his energon cube and took a long drink. Hopefully the femme would get the hint that he wasn't staying and leave him be.

She just sat there and smiled at him, "So you like to read about ancient Cybertronian history?"

He put the cube down and gave her a level look, "Is there something you want?"

She shrugged and smiled brighter at him, "I'm just curious to know why the Decepticon Lieutenant Air Commander has been sitting in a bar in Neutral territory for the past two deca-cycles. Seems a little weird to me, how about you, Thundercracker?"

His optics narrowed at her suspiciously.

"I know a lot about you, Thundercracker." She rested her elbows on the table and held her chin, "So, feel like talking to me now?"

"What do you want, Autobot?"

She pouted at him, "Now what makes you think I'm an Autobot? I'm just a bar patron who thinks you're interesting."

He crossed his arms over his cockpit and growled, "Okay, I'll play your game. What do you want to talk about?"

"Did you get transferred back to Iacon from Earth?"

"No."

"Is Starscream and Skywarp here with you?"

"No."

"Are you here to visit a girlfriend or a sparkmate?"

"Neither."

"Why do you keep coming to this bar instead of going to one in Iacon?"

"Because I _thought_ this was far enough away from Decepticons _and Autobots_."

"You don't want to be at Decepticon Headquarters?"

"What do you think?"

"Why do you hang around the Academy so much? Do you miss the University?"

This femme knew a little too much, "How do you know all this about me?"

She smiled sweetly at him, "I have a friend-" Suddenly a femme in dark blue armor rushed up and tugged the green femme to her feet. "Looks like I have to go, but don't worry. I'll find you again, TC." The dark blue femme started to pull her away from the table. "Oh! And my name's Astral, in case you were wondering."

He watched the two strange femmes leave the bar in a hurry. A friend who knew about him, huh? More nonsense from the Autobot resistance. He sighed and drank the rest of his energon cube. He rather liked this little bar, but if she showed up again he'd have to find another one.

The radiation sensor in his subspace started to vibrate. His optics glanced quickly around the bar before he pulled the sensor out and activated the screen. The room at the Library was giving off stronger signals. Much stronger and _more than one signal_. What the slag? Thundercracker ran a diagnostic over the sensor trying to find what was making it malfunction… And found nothing wrong with it.

The dark blue Seeker pulled the star-shaped prism out to see if it was causing an effect on the scanner. The flawless crystal glittered even more brilliantly and sent the vibrating sensor off the scales. He was going to chalk the scanner's malfunction up to the prism when he noticed the harmonics between the room in the Library and the prism were entirely different signals. He looked into the glowing prism looking for any further markings inside of it, but found none.

He stashed both prism and sensor into his subspace and called the waitress over for another energon cube. Once in hand, Thundercracker took a few deep gulps to empty some of the cube before he pulled the crystal back out and gently poured some of the glowing liquid over it. The prism flashed a deep amber color as the liquid energy filled the unseen channels and the facets of the prism flared to life. A channel through the center of the crystal now appeared along with a new set of symbols besides the faint script and the strange symbols he had seen before. He couldn't decipher either sets or what looked to be a vague series of scratches along the base of the prism, but something had happened to make the sensor react and the crystal change, and Thundercracker had no answer as to what was going on with it.

_Slagging Shockwave_. The dark blue Seeker cursed the one optic freak repeatedly. He needed to get a hold of Starscream and Skywarp soon.

* * *

The dark blue femme dragged Astral across the street and into the darkened alley. Narrow impassioned optics glared at the green armored femme, "What do you think you're doing!? He's the enemy! Or did you forget that!?"

Thoughtful azure optics brightened, "We're in Neutral territory, I can't go in there and just shoot him. Besides a little reconnaissance doesn't hurt. Studying our prey in his new habitat isn't against any rules."

The dark blue femme's shape shimmered in the dim light and returned to his natural form while he watched his companions bickering.

"I can't believe you sat down at his table and did that! What if he had attacked you!?"

"He may not be very friendly, but he's not violent. Nothing like the other 'Cons we've seen," The thoughtful azure optics shrugged in the low light. "He's here alone, in a bar, in Neutral territory, and he's reading data pads about the Seekers. He's just a cute flier with a bad attitude."

The impassioned golden optics threw her hands up in the air with a huff and the thoughtful azure optics shared a look with the silent mech. "Think of it this way," The azure optics regarded her angry companion. "He's here and not trying to get into the Library. No harm no foul."

The impassioned optics whirled around, "That doesn't mean he hasn't told Shockwave about it!"

"Well, I did find out something of importance."

"What?"

The silent blue mech started to shake his head and stepped back when he realized this was going to get ugly.

"He doesn't have a girlfriend."

The golden optic femme launched herself at the green femme and the two tussled on the ground. The silent mech checked both ends of the alleyway and sighed. He wondered how come he always ended up breaking up the fights between these two as he carefully reached down and pulled the two femmes apart.

* * *

Two painfully bright fluorescent lights greeted me when I opened my eyes. I was on my side on something uncomfortably lumpy and when I tried to move a wave of nausea washed over me. Groaning, I lowered myself back onto the lumpy thing and shut my eyes. _Where am I?_ Carefully lifting a hand up to shield my eyes from the humming artificial lights, I scanned the room: beige room, with a beige ceiling and the two annoying lights. Shifting slightly to get a better look, another wave of nausea hit. I swallowed hard to keep from vomiting and slowly continued my visual search of the room. Directly across from me was a thin cot with a flat pillow and an ugly looking dark gray blanket. Shutting my eyes from the invasive fluorescent glare, I reached down and felt the surface I was laying on: thin metal frame, lumpy mattress and a scratchy blanket. _I'm someplace uncomfortable that's for sure._ Opening my eyes slowly, I noticed in the corner of my vision bars.

I attempted to sit up to get a better look and the nausea hit me again; but this time it also hit with blinding pain in my head. Reaching up slowly to not aggravate the nausea, I gingerly touched the back of my head and found dried blood in my hair. Some one had hit me from behind. _Why was I hit?_ Even thinking was painful and things were blurry. _I was supposed to give a presentation about the radiation and the Autobots, but..._

I shivered on the cot and ran my hand down my side smoothing my skirt down on my legs. I was still in my blazer, but just a quick wiggle of my cold toes said my shoes were gone. I tried to pull the lumpy mattress up to see the ground below me. Dress shoes were better than no shoes, except they weren't there. _They took my shoes?_ I ran my hand down my body again - they had also taken my belt as well as my jewelry, watch and earrings.

Panic fought with the nausea in my stomach. _Think, Rachel. Where are you? And where was everyone else? I was on a jet and then a ship..._ My head hurt so much.

I shivered again and grimaced. I didn't want to use that scratchy blanket, but I didn't want to freeze either.

"You awake?" There was a voice coming from the direction of the bars I had seen. I put my hand up to shield my eyes and saw a guard in fatigues with a gun at his side. "Are you thirsty? I have water here if you want some."

Everything clicked into place and I sighed painfully, "Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne, Kirtland - 2757, February 19, 1983."

The guard chuckled as he reached into my cell and set a water bottle down on the floor. "I've never heard of Kirtland, is it an Air Force base?"

"Doctor Rachel Elizabeth Milne-"

"Okay, I get it. You're not going to talk. That's fine. You just don't look like the military type."

Shutting my eyes, I tried to pull the blanket underneath me free without making me sick.

"You want another blanket?"

I didn't say anything to him and kept trying to free the blanket. Something hit me and I blearily opened one eye. He had tossed a blanket through the bars. I wrapped it around me and curled up into a ball. "Thank you."

"You're not supposed to say anything but your name and rank." He chided me.

"You're not supposed to hit girls either."

"I didn't hit you."

I ignored him and shut my eyes. Everything was swimming violently around me. I remembered now what had happened as sleep descended on me. It was some type of trap on the ship and they took my wireless Teletraan 1. I also remembered destroying it and hopefully the message that was sent back along with the destruction protocol warned Jazz and the others to stay away.

* * *

I slept fitfully with dreams of Jazz in trouble. I kept yelling at him to run away, but he wouldn't listen and ended up being captured by soldiers. And as if the dreams weren't bad enough, almost every movement I made while asleep would jar me awake. With no clock in the cell, my only source of time came from the different guards that stood outside the bars. I lost track after the fourth one, but the one that had talked to me reappeared twice more. He also brought me another bottle of water and a chocolate bar, which I broke small pieces off of and let it melt in my mouth. My head still hurt too much to do anything else.

I knew I wasn't supposed to talk to anyone, but... "Are we still on the ship?"

The guard turned around and gave me a slightly lopsided grin, "Decided to talk to me now?"

"I just want to know where I am."

"Coronado, California."

"Thanks." I curled back up with the scratchy blanket and shut my eyes again.

"Don'tcha want to know where you are going?"

I didn't bother opening my eyes to answer him, "Somewhere for a witches trial, then drawn and quartered and finally burned at the stake."

He laughed and I opened one eye to glare at him. "You're not going to call me a traitor or an enemy of the state?"

"Are you really working for the terrorists?"

"Even if I deny it they'll still brand me as a traitor."

"But are you?"

I opened both eyes blearily and sat up on my elbow. "No. I was a liaison appointed by the Secretary of Defense and United States government a little over four months ago."

"A liaison to who?"

I glared at him as I lay back down on the uncomfortable cot, "I think this conversation is over."

"Gotcha." He turned around and didn't say anything else until I was almost asleep again. "Don'tcha still want to know where you are going?"

"Probably Washington to be strung up around the Capitol Building like the Secretary was." I frowned but didn't open my eyes, "I can't believe Wes set me up like this."

"I guess that means you didn't hear," The guard paused a moment. "The Secretary had a heart-attack and died."

"...When?"

"Two days ago in the early hours of the morning."

Wincing from the pain I sat up and glared at the guard. I got the feeling that something wasn't making any sense. "What day is it?"

"May 3rd."

That meant there was only thirty-two days left. "Early hours of the morning? How early?"

The guard shrugged, "Don't know."

"Where in California did he die?"

The guard gave me a strange look as my glare bore a hole through him. "...He wasn't in California."

I shifted around and rested my back against the cool wall. "Then either someone lied to me or they lied to you."

That strange look came over his face again, but I held my hand up, "I'm not saying anything else about it."

He nodded and turned back around, "You should probably try to sleep again. Toby will be here in fifteen minutes and he's the biggest asshole that ever wore combat boots."

* * *

People shouting dragged me out of another fitful sleep. Everything was pitch black and in my groggy and pain filled-state I started to panic.

"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!"

I nearly jumped off the cot as a voice coming from near the bars yelled into the dark. My sudden movements made my head swim even more and left me feeling detached from reality.

There were other voices in the hall, but I couldn't tell where they were in respect to my cell. "IDENTIFY YOURSELVES!"

I stared into the darkness where the guard was pulling a battery-operated radio from his belt. "WE HAVE A SITUATION IN CELL BLOCK FOUR!" I watched the faintly glowing energy signal from the batteries as he dropped the radio and fired his gun three times down the hall. The three sharp blasts rang in my ears and the light from the muzzle of the gun burst through the blackness. I screamed and plastered myself against the cot, hoping he didn't turn his gun towards me in the dark.

A bright blue jolt of electricity pieced the black hallway and I heard someone fall to the floor; the guard must have tazered somebody. Two people suddenly appeared at the door to my cell, both covered with energy signatures, including bands around their heads that must have been night vision goggles.

"Got it?"

"Yeah, get back."

The voices were male and I couldn't tell what they were doing, until there was a painfully blinding white light and a loud sizzling noise. They had shoved the lock to the cell with magnesium and lit it. It burned and sputtered for what sounded like an eternity; but when the hissing ended there was a loud 'clang' sound and the door to the cell was shoved open forcefully. I was roughly grabbed by my shoulder and I was hoisted to my feet. One of the scratchy blankets was wrapped around me, the other was dumped over my head and I was pushed towards the door of the cell. I whimpered in pain from all the sudden movements and I fought to stay conscious.

"GO!GO!GO!"

My shoulder was hitched up at a painful angle as I was propelled down the hallway at a run. There was a door that I was thrust through and then stairs going down that I slipped on. A muffled voice was in my ear telling me to hang on to him and I was quickly swept up into the stranger's arms while he was still running down the stairs. My feet hit the corner of a wall and I tried to pull myself into a ball in his arms. One final door and we weren't in the building anymore, but running across a flat expanse. Claxons started to blare from behind us and they ran faster.

"Come on or we're not going to make it!"

There was a deep rumble of vehicle racing towards us at a high rate of speed, but it wasn't the comforting sound of an Autobot engine. It came to a skidding stop and I heard a door open and suspension springs creak. I was passed from one set of arms into another like a sack of potatoes into the vehicle. The engine revved and someone slid into the seat next to me and slammed the door.

"We're in go! Go!"

The tires spun in the dirt before they caught purchase and the driver floored it. I tried to pull the blankets off of my head only to have whoever was sitting to my left hold them down. "You're staying under there until we're clear."

I tried to fight off his hands, but the blankets stayed put. "Let me go!"

"Sorry, Doctor Milne. But you have to stay covered."

"Why? Who are you?" My head was throbbing in agony, but my fear and the panic from the whole situation was canceling out the pain.

"Just stay still and we'll explain when we're clear."

I kept fighting the blankets, "Clear of what? Let me out of here!"

The voice to the right was the one who carried me from the stairway. "Trust us and stay calm, Doctor Milne."

"Trust you?! I don't know who you are and you're kidnapping me!"

The voice to the left had a slight annoyed yet pleading tone to it. "Help us out here, Kidder."

"Doctor Milne. You're with friends. Just stay calm and we'll be there soon." It was the voice of the talkative guard and he was driving the vehicle.

I stopped fighting the blankets, "You..."

"Heh. Surprised?" There was a grin to Kidder's voice.

"Where are you taking me?"

"Relax. It won't take long to get there."

"To get where?" The panic was running in circles in my stomach with fear following quickly behind it. "Why are you doing this?

"We're trying to get you to safety. Now please calm down."

"But who are you? Where are we going?"

"Enjoy the ride. We'll be there in under thirty minutes."

I gave up on fighting them as a sharp pain shot through my head, "Can you open the blankets just a little bit, please? It's stifling under them and they smell."

They chuckled, but the hands with the death grip on the blankets eased up and let some air circulate. I tried to force the feelings of panic away, but I was still scared.

Thirty minutes felt like forever in a hot and scratchy coffin that bounced on a trampoline. The vehicle we were in came to a dirt-scuffing stop and doors were opened. "May I take off the blankets now?"

The hands from the left side that held the blankets over me helped remove the scratchy material. It was nighttime and there was no moon in the sky. In the dim light, I could make out low scraggily weeds and sand dunes around the vehicle, a HumVee, now that I got a proper chance to see it... and a C-17 plane right behind us.

The guy to my right helped me out of the HumVee and held my arm gently this time, as I looked at the giant plane. "Welcome to the Middle of Nowhere USA, Doctor Milne."

"That's a plane."

"Yep, that's a plane."

I pointed at the giant aircraft, "We're going on a plane? That plane? We're flying?"

"That's the plan."

I hate flying...

Right-side guy let my arm go and I tottered on my bare feet in the cold sand as my head began to swim again. He quickly grabbed my wrist and put a hand around my waist. "Are you all right, Doctor Milne?"

I shut my eyes and swallowed hard, "No, I'm not okay. I'm pretty sure I have a concussion, I don't know what the hell is going on or who you people are, and I hate flying."

He led me over to the ramp that led into the massive plane and helped me sit down. "We'll explain once we're in the air. And the C-17's are the gentlest rides in the sky. You won't even know we're flying."

"I've ridden in these a few times, you can feel it."

He chuckled and jumped up the side of the ramp. "Let me get something for your head."

Kidder, with the help of left-side guy, was backing the HumVee into the belly of the plane when right-side guy returned with a pouch. He gave the pouch a sharp twist and handed it to me. "It should get cold in a moment."

I finally got a good look at my captors-rescuers: left and right-side guys were all in black, while Kidder was in desert-colored camouflage. I took the pouch that was feeling really nice and cold and gingerly put it on the back of my neck. "Thank you."

"Oi! Up! Up! We're runnin' late as it is!" Another guy in desert-colored camouflage came around the far side of the plane and barked at the others. "Blackbird is in the air already and Nighthawk is prepped and waitin' beyond the dunes."

Right-side guy looked over at left-side guy who was pulling gear out of the C-17, "Everything ready to go, Swifty?"

"The Silver Stallion is on his way to pick up package number two!"

The new camouflage guy twirled his wrists and pointed to the C-17 impatiently, "Now if we can please get into the air..."

"Give Kidder and Swifty a chance to get into the air first, Cujo."

I looked up at right-side guy then over to the guy he called 'Cujo', then back to right-side guy. "Cujo, huh? So does that make you 'Iceman' or 'Goose'?"

He smirked at me, "Neither. Come on and lets get you inside before Cujo gets rabid."

'Inside' meant up in the front of the plane surrounded by windows, and I started to panic just as right-side guy belted me into a seat just behind the cockpit. "You wouldn't by chance have some Dramamine around, would you?"

Cujo barked at me, "Don't you dare blow chunks in my baby!" Right-side guy wasn't kidding about 'Cujo' being 'rabid'.

Right-side guy sat down in the co-pilot's seat and strapped himself in, "Just relax, Doctor Milne."

"I really wish you would stop saying that." I put the icy pouch back on my neck. "I don't know who you people are, or what this is all about, or even where we're going!?"

The plane engines started and my blustering wilted. _I hate flying..._

Right-side guy flipped a few switches in the cockpit before turning around to look at me, "Ever hear of Delta-Force?"

"Yes." The plane jerked forwards and started to roll. I clenched the sides of the chair and tried to sink into the seat.

"We're not them." He grinned and Cujo's laugh sounded like a rough bark.

I gave them a cold look, "Absolutely hilarious." I curled up in the chair and shut my eyes. I hate flying.

The radio suddenly came to life. "'Bout time you slowpokes got off the ground."

Right-side guy picked up two sets of headphones and handed one to me. "How's the sky look tonight, Baron?"

The voice on the radio answered back in a singsong way. "Black with all these pretty little stars. How's the good doctor doing? I hope you're not scaring her with your flying, Cujo. I hear she's got a delicate stomach."

I tilted my head to the side and stared at right-side guy, "How does he know that?"

The voice over the radio laughed, "An tough old balding eagle told me."

I looked at right-side guy and he just shrugged.

The plane started to lift off when something came shooting up from behind us. I screamed and cowered in my chair and Cujo started 'barking' up a storm.

"ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE, KIDDER?!"

"Just keeping you on your twinkly toes, Cujo!"

"You buzz my baby again and I'll cut your fucking balls off!" The C-17 soared off into the sky after the distant landing lights that flickered off.

"Okay, kids. Behave before you send Cujo into a slathering rage and scare the poor doctor to death." Right-side guy flicked a few more switches before swiveling his chair around to look at me. "Okay, Doctor Milne. We're in the air and on the road home. Where are we going?"

I gave right-side guy a shaky glare, "Is this another lame joke? Because you really aren't that funny."

Cujo barked in laughter again.

Right-side guy smiled at me, "We're to get you to safety and you're the only one who knows exactly where we are going."

I narrowed my eyes and glanced between him and the crazy pilot. "You don't know where you're going?"

"Nope. We need you to guide us."

Even though my stomach quaked inside me as the plane moved, those cold fingers of panic weaseled their way past the nausea. "Land the plane."

Both men stared at me and I started to rip through the belts. "Put the plane down NOW!"

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Doctor Milne, come on and sit back down, it's not what you think..."

"Screw you, flyboy! I'm not guiding you anywhere!" I stood on shaky legs and cast about looking for a parachute. I tried to push my way towards the belly of the plane - being dizzy, nauseous, and on an unsteady floor made moving difficult.

Right-side guy grabbed me from behind and lifted me up in the air. I fought back by kicking and flailing.

"Damn! You're a firebrand!"

I continued to pitch a fit. "LET GO OF ME!"

"Where are you going to go? Sit in the Hummer? Even if we land the plane, you've got no place to go."

I got a solid kick to his knee, but his grip tightened and he hauled me back up to the cockpit. "Enough of this." I got dumped back in the seat, but when I tried to make another break for it, he was kneeling in front of me, face to face. "Okay, Doctor Milne. We are trying to help you. But in return you need to tell us where to go."

"No."

He put his hands on the armrests. "We are not your enemy. We are trying to get you back home and to do that you need to tell us where we're going."

I glared at him, "I don't trust you. All of you military types have hidden agendas behind that 'we're here to protect you!' crap."

He shot Cujo a glance before turning back to me, "Alright, yeah. We do have an agenda, but it's not what you think. We were called in to help, but things got FUBAR-ed. So now we're playing 'rescue the damsel in distress' as damage control. Anyways, who else are you going to trust right now?"

I growled and turned to stare out a window which was just a gray wall of clouds.

"Okay, fine." Right-side guy stood up and put his headphones back on. "Hey, Swifty? What's your ETA on collecting package number two?"

"I'm about forty-five minutes out. Why?"

"The doctor isn't cooperating with us."

"You might as well land and wait for me then, instead of wasting fuel. What did you do to spook her?"

"She doesn't want our help." Right-side guy gave me a flat look. I just glowered at him.

The slightly singsong voice piped up over the radio, "Here. Let me talk to her."

Right-side guy held the headphones out to me, "Baron wants to talk to you."

I frowned at him for a moment, but I took the headphones and put them on, "Yes?"

"Hey. I know we haven't met personally, but I've heard a lot about you. The old balding eagle talked about you a lot and said are one of the bravest people he's ever known. I can't say too much about all of this right now until we get to safer airspace, but the old eagle told me that you went through hell and back twice just to save people you didn't even know."

I sat back in the chair and returned right-side guy's flat look, "Who is 'the old eagle'?"

Baron chuckled slightly, but it was tinged with sadness, "I'll tell you more when we land. It's too dangerous to talk about it up here. He trusts you, why don't you give us the benefit of the doubt and trust us?"

"How do I know you aren't going to betray that trust?"

"You don't. It's a leap of faith, but I swear on all that is good and holy and on Blackbird's very wings that we are just trying to help."

I glanced out the cloudy window and frowned. "How many of you are there?"

Right-side guy looked at me, "What do you mean?"

"There's five of you, right? Where are they?"

Baron's voice came over the radio again, "The Blackbird is the B-2 Stealth about 600 feet off to your right. I'd flash you, but that would defeat the purpose of flying blind."

"My lady Nighthawk is leading the way five miles ahead of Cujo's 'baaabbbbyyyy'." Kidder teased the rabid pilot, "She's also a B-2 Stealth Bomber."

"Swifty's Silver Stallion is a MH-53 Pave Low, and Swifty ain't happy about weather conditions."

"What's going on, Swifty?" Right-side guy sat down in his seat and flicked a few switches.

"I have found the true meaning behind flying blind. Pea soup fog has rolled in and I'm barely skirting the clouds."

"Be very careful then, Swift. We don't want to lose you to power lines." Right-side guy looked back at me, "Well?"

I looked back out into the dark gray clouds, "Do you have a name?"

He started to smile at me, "I'm Will."

"What, no 'Top Gun' nickname?"

"Nope, just Will."

I nodded without looking at him and sighed, "Where are we?"

"Just south of Los Angeles."

I drew my legs up into the seat and hugged my knees. I was taking a huge risk with this... I put my head down over my arms as I tried to reason with myself. They said they were called to help. I just didn't know _who_ actually called them... "Fly north until I tell you to stop."


	14. Chapter 14 Minutes to Midnight part 3

A/N: I didn't like some parts of this, so they got rewritten.

'Bots are not happy about the situation. Skywarp shows some of his true colors and Rachel is such a smart-ass.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews given much love.

Story Arc 7

**Chapter 14 – Minutes to Midnight part three**

"What's going on?" The sullen Seeker glared at Ratchet and Wheeljack.

The grouchy medic growled as he worked on securing his lesser-used tools, "Moving day, hoped you packed your bags."

Skywarp huffed in boredom as he sat on the edge of his table, "Where's the femme? She's not helping with your 'moving day'?" He drummed his fingers loudly on the metal table and gave a long-suffering sigh when neither of the Autobots answered him. The femme would at least talk to him if she were here.

"I've got two empty shelving units in storage, Ratchet." Wheeljack brought a rather large container out of the side room and set it on the nearest table. "For the life of me I can't remember what was stored there."

"The two by the corner?"

"Yeah. You remember what goes there?" Wheeljack rummaged around in the container removing a fistful of bent and broken tools and setting them on the table.

Ratchet grumbled from across the room, "Paint."

"Paint?"

"Yes."

The fins of the mech's vocal processors lit up with laughter, "That much room just for paint… Sunstreaker is not going to be happy to find out you're out."

"He'll have to deal with it. I don't have time right now to fix every little imagined scratch on his skidplate."

Skywarp snickered evilly, drawing attention the attention of the medic and engineer.

Ratchet shot the Seeker a glare, "I don't have time or materials to fix your paint either, so don't even think about asking."

"I wouldn't _dream_ of it." He smirked. "I just find it amusing that the glitch whines about his appearance."

Ratchet shook his head and opened a cabinet in the wall, securing bins of cogs and bolts inside.

The Seeker leaned back on his hands with bored sigh; even trying to irritate the grouchy medic was proving futile. "So do I get to be shoved onto a shelf as well or are you going to let me go?"

"Though the rest of the ship thinks we should shove you out an airlock, you're coming with us."

Skywarp glared at the orange titanium ceiling, "Bleh. Where are you- we going and why?"

There was an evil tone to Ratchet's voice, "Don't worry your empty little cranial unit, Skywarp."

He shot Ratchet a dirty look, "Anyone ever tell you that you're as charming as Starscream on a good day? And where's the femme?"

"Don't push it, Seeker. Or you will spend the next few days in stasis." Ratchet dropped some restraints on the table next to Skywarp.

Bright red optics widened as he looked between the restraints and the medic. "You're going to strap me down to the table?"

The med bay doors opened and the twin terrors entered, "Hey, Ratchet –"

The grouchy medic didn't even look up at them, "No. Get out."

An irritated Sideswipe frowned at him, "I love you too, Ratchet. But Prowl wants you to meet him in the brig."

He glanced up at the sour looking Twins curiously, "Who's in the brig?"

They glared at the pouting Seeker before Sunstreaker answered, "You'll see when we get there. Prowl said to tell you to prepare yourself for an escape artist."

An optic ridge was raised, "An escape artist?"

"Ratchet," Sunstreaker's patience was wearing rather thin. "Just get your stuff and come on."

The grouchy medic opened a comlink to Prowl. The Twins looked serious, but they could look serious and deadly when they were pulling pranks too. _"Ratchet to Prowl."_

"_Prowl here. Are you on your way down here? He's nearly broken through all the restraints I put him in."_

"_Who?"_

"_Jazz."_

"_What? Why is Jazz in the brig?"_

"_He wants to go after Rachel."_

"_You put him in the brig because he wanted to go find Rachel?"_

"_Optimus relieved him of duty when he disobeyed a direct order to stay on the Ark. Jazz was given the option to stay in his quarters or the brig. His numerous attempts to escape an escort to his quarters necessitate time in the brig. Unfortunately, he has deactivated the energy bars of his cell no less than eight times, he has destroyed all of Red Alert's security cameras and motion sensors on level A-1, and has managed to break free of every restraint we have attempted to use. The current circumstances demand stronger measures to keep him from leaving the Ark and exacerbating the situation with the humans."_

"_In other words, hurry up and get down here."_ Ratchet sighed and looked at the ill-tempered Lamborghinis. _"Let me get some sedatives and I'll be right there. Ratchet out."_

The grouchy medic roughly unlocked a cabinet he had just secured and nearly pulled the door off its hinges. He grabbed three phials of a strong energon sedative and the equipment he would need to sedate the mech highly versed in subterfuge. If they could hold him still, he could just inject the sedative into Jazz. But if Prowl was having enough trouble keeping him in restraints how were they going to keep him from lashing out? He scowled. If it became necessary, he could always shoot him. Ratchet filled a couple of syringes and a handful of darts full of the energon sedative and stashed them in his subspace. "So which one of you is feeling like a lucky shot today?"

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker looked at each other in disbelief before turning back to Ratchet. "You're the one with the good arm, Ratchet."

Sideswipe rubbed his hand over his helmet, "I have the dents to prove it."

"Fine." Ratchet walked into his office and came out with his gun.

"Can you even fire that?" Skywarp snickered and received two icy glares and a 'shut it or I'll weld your skidplate to the ceiling' glare. "Looks dusty, maybe you should check it for steel spiders before you use it."

Sunstreaker growled and started for the Seeker, until Ratchet put his hand on the golden warrior's shoulder. "Ignore him. I'm going to need both of you to help."

Dirty looks were exchanged between the three warriors as Ratchet led the Lamborghinis out of the med bay, "Let's just get this done so I can go back to work."

Skywarp stared at the door as it closed. Riling those two up was entertaining… as long as they stayed in the med bay for him to pester. Ratchet had a very dry humor and wasn't as easy to harass. Wheeljack would just laugh good-naturedly at his jokes and barbs. But the femme would banter with him and she was very adept at slinging insults. The Seeker's lips twitched into a wide smirk - the femme had told Starscream to shove it up his afterburner not too long ago and that had sent the red Seeker into a spluttering frenzy. No one talked to 'Screamer like that; but she did, and to top the insult off she emptied her fuel tank in him. Now _that_ was slagging hilarious.

His smirk faded and he leaned back on his hands again. _Stupid Auto-slags_. The femme said they had tried to contact Megatron to send him back to the Decepticons, but received no answer. He glared at the ceiling; _I bet they didn't even try_. But what about the reports that Starscream hadn't been seen in any battles since the one when Megatron destroyed the artifact? The Decepticon warlord had left him out there to die, maybe Starscream did die in the blast. Skywarp snorted. Screechy slagger was too hard to kill. He should have been dead a hundred times over by the hand of Megatron, but the red Seeker had Primus' luck on his side.

Wheeljack came out of the storage room again with another crate. At least he was someone the Seeker could get a few answers out of, "So where are you moving to that needs everything strapped down?"

"Not sure really." The engineer's vocal processors flashed absent-mindedly, as he pulled more bent and twisted tools from the new crate. "It won't be for very long."

His optics narrowed at that. "For very long? The Autobots are leaving the planet?"

"Naw. Just moving the Ark."

"Why?"

The engineer shrugged and went back to sorting the broken tools into piles that could be salvaged and piles that would be scrapped.

Blood red optics narrowed at the oblivious mech, "Why are the Autobots moving?"

The distracted engineer barely acknowledged the Seeker. "Hmm?"

Skywarp crossed his arms over his half completed cockpit. "I asked why are the Autobots moving."

"Hmm? Oh," Wheeljack glanced up at the mech. "We do it from time to time. Seemed like a good time right now since things are quiet."

Skywarp grunted at the boring answer. Great. He was going to get strapped down to the table while the Autobots look for a new neighborhood. "When is the change of address happening?"

"When everyone is ready." Wheeljack pushed the huge pile of scrapped tools into one of the crates and picked up the smaller armful of tools that could be repaired. He retreated to the doors of the med bay and pushed through. The mirth in the engineer's vocal processors made Skywarp frown. "Now be a good little Seeker and don't go anywhere."

"My intakes are quivering in anticipation for your return." He shot back as the laughing Wheeljack exited the med bay.

* * *

Two scowling Lamborghinis flanked the grouchy medic as they headed for the brig.

Sunstreaker stalked alongside his twin and Ratchet, "I can't believe Optimus threw Jazz in the brig."

"You should have seen him in Communications, Sunny. When Optimus relieved him of duty, Jazz said he was resigning."

"It still isn't right that he's in the brig." The golden warrior's faceplate was twisted into the identical glower his twin wore.

"Optimus had to do it." Ratchet entered the security code into the panel to open the door to the brig. "You can't blame Jazz for wanting to go get Rachel back, but an order is still an order, even if you don't agree with it."

The door slid open to reveal a frantic Red Alert trying to recalibrate his cameras and security systems, while Prowl struggled to get the wily mech back into restraints as Ironhide held his arms back. Ratchet shook his head sadly and pulled out a syringe of the mild sedative. "I hate to do this to you, Jazz, but you're not helping yourself or Rachel by behaving like this."

"Slag off, Ratchet."

"Now come on, Jazz. Th' doc is jus' followin' orders." Ironhide had to readjust his grip on the Saboteur's arms as he tried to wiggle free. "We ain't the bad mechs here."

Jazz glared at Ratchet before sliding his icy cold stare at the Twins. "I can't believe y're takin' Optimus' side in this and jus' let them have her. Have any of y' read what this government does t' people they think are traitors?"

Ratchet readied the syringe and pushed Jazz's head to one side to get at a main energon line, "I know, Jazz. I read it too. We'll find a way to get her back before that happens."

"When? When Optimus says so? Or right before they kill her?"

Ratchet injected the sedative into Jazz's neck, "Hopefully sooner than that."

The bright azure visor flickered and dimmed, his body going slack under Ironhide's grasp. "He shouldn't be a problem to handle now. But I'd rather him in the med bay like this."

Prowl secured Jazz's wrists behind his back with energy cuffs and instructed Ironhide to put him into the newly repaired cell. "Would you please put him into stasis, Ratchet."

Four sets of blue optics widened at Prowl's request. "Why? He's got enough sedative in him to keep him out cold for twelve joors."

"As I said before, the current situation demands stronger measures to keep him restrained. Please put him into stasis."

Ratchet crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Prowl, "I think I'm going to take that up with Optimus first. I can understand that you are concerned that he'll break out and go after Rachel, but no mech is going to wake up from that much sedative any time soon and be a threat."

"Until you have that discussion with Optimus, I am requesting that you put him into stasis."

"As Chief Medical Officer on this ship, my word outweighs yours, Prowl. Jazz does not need to be put into stasis while he is sedated for two," Ratchet held up two of his fingers in front of Prowl's face for emphasis. "Two reasons. ONE, it is NOT medically necessary, TWO, he has enough sedative in him to keep unconscious for joors, and THREE, I do happen to have more than one syringe with this sedative if you would like to test its effects."

Prowl activated the energy bars for Jazz's cell. "We will take this up with Optimus then."

The grouchy medic had never wished for his arc welder more than he did at that moment to knock some sense into Prowl. "I'm also going to put in the request to Optimus that he be transferred to the med bay. He needs to be under reliable supervision in this state, and I'm sure Red Alert has more important duties right now than repairing cameras in an empty brig."

"I wouldn't expect any less from you."

Ratchet growled and left the brig with the Twins in tow. The three were quiet on the trip back to the med bay, each with a sour scowl plastered across their faceplates. The grouchy medic pushed the doors open intent on sending his request to Optimus before finishing securing the med bay while his two large shadows followed him in and leaned against a table covered with crates near his office. The red warrior stared at the grouchy medic's back as he went into his office. "This is just wrong, Sunny."

The golden warrior glared at the floor. "I know, 'Sides."

"We should do something."

"Like?"

"I don't know… Let me think about it."

"Look, 'Sides." Sunstreaker turned to face his twin, "We don't know even know where she is."

Sly azure optics and a smirk spread across Sideswipe's face. "… We could always hack into the government's systems to figure out where they're keeping her."

"You lost the femme?" Narrow bright red optics stared at the Twins

They turned around to glare at the Seeker. The golden warrior snarled at Skywarp, "We didn't lose her."

The red terror rested his hands on the table and glowered at him. "The human government took her."

The Seeker raised an optic ridge at them. "Well, go get her back."

"We would if we could."

"But it's not that easy."

Skywarp looked at them incredulously. "Why not? Hack the systems, find her and bring her back. How slaggin' difficult can that be?"

"It's not that easy, Skywarp. There are other things that need to be taken into consideration," A sour looking Ratchet came out of his office and crossed his arms over his chest plate.

"Like?"

"We're caught in a difficult situation-"

"Wait. This is why you're 'moving'? You're running away from the slaggin' meatbags!?" The Seeker stared in disbelief at the three mechs. "You let the little sacks of flesh take the femme and then you run away with your tailpipes between your legs!? This is why you Autobots are weak!"

Ratchet gave Skywarp a cold look as he walked across the med bay, "Looks like it's time for your nap."

Skywarp snapped at him, "Fix my armor now and give me a weapon!"

The grouchy medic stopped. He had been expecting the Seeker to throw a fit about being offlined again, but he didn't expect him to say that. "I beg your pardon?"

"Do you need your audio receptors cleaned?" Skywarp spat at him. "I said fix my armor and give me a frakkin' weapon! I'll go get the femme back since none of you slagging cowards will do it."

"Even if I could fix you right now, which I can't, we can't let you run amok with weapons searching for Rachel."

"And why not? You afraid I'll damage the worthless meatbags? You're more worried about what happens to the slaggin' humans than what happens to the femme!? Are your processors running at full capacity!?"

"That's enough, Skywarp." Ratchet went to the monitor to send the enraged Seeker into stasis.

Skywarp slid off the table onto his one whole leg, pulling the monitoring cables taut and snarled in Ratchet's face. "The femme was the one redeeming factor out of this entire Autobot circus!"

Two weapons were subspaced and aimed at him. The ranting Seeker grabbed the muzzle of Sunstreaker's gun and thrust it at his chest. "Do it Auto-slag! Let's see the big bad Autobot pull the trigger! You won't lift that finger to save the femme, let's see if you can pull a trigger with it!"

Ratchet's hand came up and slowly took the gun out of both mech's hands. The grouchy medic's voice was like ice. "Enough. Put your weapon away, Sideswipe." He handed Sunstreaker's gun back to him, "Put it away. And you," He pointed at the seething Seeker. "Back on the table. I don't need you falling over and breaking anything else."

Three sets of optics continued to glare daggers at each other until Ratchet intervened. He pushed the Twins back away from the Seeker, but Skywarp hadn't budged and was still glowering at Sunstreaker. Ratchet herded the Seeker backwards to his table, hooking his fingers into his open shoulder joint and pulling the mech back onto the table. "I realize you want to help, Skywarp, but we won't fix the situation by jumping in with guns blazing. And you two," He turned his attention to the growling Twins. "I don't want you two to even _think_ about a way to sneak off and find Rachel." All three mechs started to bicker again and he just held up his hand. "No. Optimus has stated very clearly that there is to be no contact with the humans. End of story."

* * *

Starscream landed on a mountain peak and surveyed the area. He was near the Autobot base, but far enough outside of their sensors to avoid the neighborhood welcoming party. The location was impossible for any groundpounder to reach, but the perfect spot for one gifted with wings like himself to land and contemplate existence without being bothered. The area was abundant with steep inclines, blind grottos and winding canyons that twisted through the area - a playground for young Seekers just like the Towers of Iacon were...

The red Seeker stood alone on the mountain. A veritable king in his domain with the open night skies above him his realm, the millions of stars it held were jewels in his crown, the Earth below him was his throne, and all that he could see his kingdom. _A ruler of dirt and alien skies with sniveling insects as my court_, he thought sourly.

He opened a long forgotten radio channel and sent a simple message. Starscream didn't wait for a verbal reply from the recipient; if Jetfire wanted to know why, then the Veritech would need to come to him for the answer.

Jetfire was the last person he had any connection to on Earth, and it was because of that connection that Starscream was finally willing to talk to him. They had been friends and colleagues over seven million years ago. Before the war, before the destruction of the Academy, they jumped for each mission offered to explore different star systems. Both driven by their quest for knowledge, they would travel through space to be the first to map out the systems and covertly catalogue any life they found. Jetfire went purely for the science while Starscream went for the science, the excitement and the prospect of finding any artifacts. He only discovered three artifacts on these outings and two if them were odd start charts and what seemed to be prophesies. But the third one held detailed instructions on the science behind mass displacement - proof that the technology described in the text was truly alien and not something an unknown Cybertronian scientist created.

The red Seeker pulled the scanner he had created to locate the harmonic radiation signatures from his subspace and turned it over in his hands absently. It had undergone many transitions and upgrades over the years... and then fell by the wayside when the Decepticons arrived on Earth. It wasn't just because of the war, or the plans to drain this star system of its energy, or even the fact that he had not found any signatures here previously...

They were the best. They were the best either faction would ever see, and yet their strength and prowess was wasted with the narrow minded Megatron leading them into ill-planned battles and retreating at the first sign of failure - and their faith in their skills was starting to wane. On Cybertron, their presence was feared and respected. On Earth, they were grunts expected to carry out meaningless and degrading tasks. Other than the meager time they were able to secret away for 'training', there was little use for the Seekers other than being Megatron's favorite targets for blame.

Starscream crossed his arms over his cockpit and frowned at the sun peeking over the horizon sending pink tendrils of its light across the mountains. The star mocked him and his rule over the land. Mocked him like Megatron mocked him. He was small and insignificant compared to the sun, hardly worth the effort to cast its warming glow onto his wings. How many times had the Decepticon warlord said that to him and the others? His blood red optics flashed in the growing light and a knowing smirk crossed his lips. Stars can be destroyed just as leaders like Megatron can be dethroned.

He turned to look in the direction of the Autobot base and scanned the area for the Veritech. He should have received the message and been on the way if not already here, unless he was letting the Auto-jerks abuse him like some civilian transport vehicle. The Seeker scowled. _Waste of my time thinking I would get any answers from him_. He leapt into the air and started to transform when his sensors picked up a flier headed towards his location: a Veritech. He settled back down onto the mountain outcrop and waited for Jetfire.

Maybe this wasn't a waste of his time after all.

* * *

Jetfire entered the bridge of the Ark searching for Optimus Prime. He still couldn't believe the message he had received and replayed it for the sixth time

_-I want to talk._

The Veritech wasn't sure if he was surprised that Starscream had sent him a message or if he was surprised that he never expected Starscream would speak to him besides on the battlefield. It made him feel slightly ashamed that he had unconsciously given up hope on his once friend and any hope that the friendship could be mended.

The Autobot leader was over by the Ark's navigational systems discussing something with Ironhide. Jetfire approached the two and waited somewhat impatiently for them to finish their conversation.

Kind blue optics turned to look at him, "Is there something I can help you with, Jetfire?"

"I don't mean to intrude on your conversation, but may I have a moment of your time, Optimus?"

"Of course, Jetfire." Optimus looked back to Ironhide. "Did you have any other concerns about the storage holds?"

"Nah. But ah'll let ya or Prowl know if ah find anythin' else."

"Thank you, Ironhide."

"Naut a problem, Optimus." The Weapons Specialist grinned at Jetfire and left the bridge.

"What can I help you with, Jetfire?"

"I just received a radio message and I would like a joor free to investigate it." He knew he was supposed to be helping prepare the Ark for lift-off, but this was too important to pass up.

"A message? From who?"

He wasn't sure how Optimus would react to the situation considering the timing of the message. "Starscream. He wishes to speak to me."

The kind blue optics looked at him curiously. "Did he say why he wants to talk to you? Did you tell him about Skywarp?"

"No. He sent his coordinates and the simple message." He looked at Teletraan 1 and the mechs working around the bridge. "I know that you need my help here, but I can't allow a chance to speak to him go unanswered. He's sitting alone on one of the nearby mountaintops far enough outside the remaining sensors to avoid detection. It's in a place that only a flier could reach."

The Autobot leader thought on this before answering. "If you wish to go then I will allow it, but we cannot come to help you if you get into trouble at that location."

Jetfire nodded, "I understand, Optimus. Thank you."

* * *

No matter how hard I yelled at Jazz, he still fought to get to me no matter the cost to him. Then the military came and caught him, and strapped him down on the flight deck of the giant ship sitting in the middle of mountaintops. I found a plane with strange feathered wings and I flew through cloudy skies to get to him. _Hang on, Jazz. I'm coming to rescue you…_

"Doctor Milne?" I blinked away the strange dream as Will gently shook my shoulder. "Doctor Milne?"

I yawned and gazed blearily around trying to find my bearings. A plane. We were still in the plane and flying.

"Doctor Milne? We need to know how much farther."

"Hmm? Oh." I looked up at Will. "Where are we?"

"Mornin', Sunshine." Cujo looked back at me with a crazy grin, "We're about thirty minutes out of San Francisco. We still going north?"

"Yeah, keep going."

I yawned and peered out the window. Something flashed in the dark and I blinked thinking my sleepy eyes just caught a reflection. It flashed again and I sunk into the seat in fear. "Something is out there."

Will looked out his window, "Where?"

It flashed again; it was so close to the plane. "There. Do you see it?"

"No."

"You don't see the flash?"

Will turned around and grinned at me. "That's the Blackbird's wing."

I glanced at him and then back out the window to catch another flash, "I thought he couldn't do that."

"We're in international waters now."

I gave Will a pointed look. "'Waters'? As in we're over the ocean?"

"Exactly."

I looked between him and the crazy pilot, "Dare I ask why we are over the ocean? Because there shouldn't be an ocean north of San Francisco."

"We still need to fly under radar and that's hard to do over populated areas."

"Oh." I peered back into the dark at the rhythmic flash from the Blackbird. This was all so surreal. Me in a plane with some off-kilter military guys flying over the ocean supposedly on the way back home. I ran my hand through my hair and curled up in the seat, wrapping my skirt around my legs and pulling my knees to my chest. My head still hurt but not as bad as it had been; that icepack should still be around here somewhere. I started to count the flashes and let my mind drift.

Was I making a huge mistake by telling them where the Autobots are? Granted north was a pretty vague direction, but it didn't squash the protective feelings I had about keeping my friends safe. At some point the world would find out about them and that was _supposed_ to happen in a controlled setting a few days ago, but every thing had changed since then. Which brought to mind a question I should have been asking myself all along: why was I taken prisoner? Why go to the effort to fly me out to the ship just to arrest me? The plan was for Jetfire to drop me off on the ship and come back later. Why didn't they arrest me then? And then no one came in to question me while I was in the cell. At least as far as I could remember, I was fairly certain the only person who talked to me was Kidder. The more I thought about the whole situation, the less inclined I was to helping. For all I knew this was ruse to lead the military to the Autobot's front door. The whole wrap me up in the blankets and the long drive to 'nowhere' just to get me to trust my 'rescuers' situation was starting to feel a little _too convenient_. Will said they had been called to help, but I didn't even know who had called them.

"Will?"

He was focused on something on the console and didn't look at me, "Yeah?"

I watched him and Cujo out of the corner of my eye, "Who called you guys?"

"What do you mean?" This wasn't a good sign.

"You said earlier that you had been called in to help. Who called you?"

"I can't tell you that right now." His focus was still on the control board.

"And why not?" What on Earth was I going to do if this was another trap?

"It's a long story."

"Good, I like long stories."

"That will have to wait until later, Doctor Milne."

I reached out and poked the back of his seat. "You know you did say you would explain everything once we were in the air. And since we're in the air, now is a perfectly good time to start explaining."

"Now is _not_ a good time. I'll tell you later."

"I see," I looked back out the window at the blinking light. "Have you ever been to Antarctica?"

"No." He was flipping through some of the controls on the console now.

"Hope you brought your parka then, because we're taking the long way to go penguin watching."

Cujo glanced back at me and Will sighed loudly. "Must we go through this again, Doctor Milne?"

"That depends solely on whether you start telling me the truth about what is going on and who called you."

"It can wait until_later_."

"All right," I went back to looking out the window.

A pointed 'thank you' was directed towards me and everything was quiet in the cockpit for a few minutes. "You know, this is the time of year when the eggs start to hatch."

Will turned around and glared at me. "Has anyone ever told you, Doctor Milne, that you're a pain in the ass?"

I countered with a level glare. "And Prince Charming doesn't have to worry about losing his day job. I asked politely. It wouldn't kill you to live up to your promise of telling me what was going on."

He sighed. "I can't tell you who called us yet. It will all become clearer when we get to where you are supposed to lead us to. So please stop asking me."

I crossed my arms over my chest, "Okay. Why were you called in then?"

He rubbed at his temples. "We were called because there is a situation between the United States government, Russia and China over something the environmental group you belong to found in the ocean. We're to go in and extract whatever it is you found out of the water before an international incident occurs. Happy now?"

I think my jaw dropped at that point.

"Now if we are done with the questions, Doctor Milne, will you please let me get back to work?"

I was so stunned that I couldn't answer him.

Will swiveled around and went over the controls again.

I don't know if it was the lack of sleep, the concussion, the very elaborate lie or the whole situation that started it. I tried valiantly to stifle the giggles, my shoulders hitching up and down in silent shakes. But the more I thought about what he said, the harder it became to keep the giggles bottled up.

Cujo turned to look at me as I shook with silent laughter. "Are you okay, Doctor Milne?"

My attempts to keep the giggling to myself failed and I started to laugh out loud. Will turned to look at me then in curiosity. "Doctor Milne?"

I snorted loudly and doubled over in my seat laughing. In a strange and very stretched sense, I guess you could see the Autobots as an 'environmental group'. They were trying to protect our environment from the Decepticons. It was a stretch, but in a very roundabout way somewhat true. My sides started to hurt and I tried to rein my laughter in. With a lot of difficultly, I was able to gasp out another question.

"And how are you planning to remove the artifact?"

"We have gear to bring it to the surface and have Swifty airlift it or we can tow it to shore."

I started to giggle again. "And what are you going to do with the artifact after you retrieve it?"

"We were to contact the caller and he would have it removed and stored at a secure location."

I snorted with laughter again and it took me longer this time to calm down. "And what about the 'environment group'? What are you to do if they get involved?"

Will and Cujo glanced at each other in confusion. "It was supposed to be a predetermined operation with their assistance…"

My sides hurt so much from laughing that it was getting hard to breathe. "That's what you were told? That's what you were told by whoever sent you?"

"Yes…"

"Oh wow. Oh, that is… wow. That has to be the best lie I have ever heard."

The two men looked at me like I had grown a third head forcing me to stifle another fit of laughter. "You have no clue about what you're getting yourselves into, do you?"

Will and Cujo shared a wary and unsure look.

I grinned as I forced back more laughter. "So, besides a scapegoat, why would an 'environmental group' need an engineer?"

"An engineer?"

"Yes," I looked between the two thoroughly confused men. "An engineer and supremolecular chemist. What's the correlation between an engineer and an environmental group? That sounds like the start of a bad joke, doesn't it?"

"You've lost me completely, Doctor Milne."

I smiled at Will. "What kind of doctor do you guys think I am?"

"A biologist," The crazy pilot looked at Will. "We were told that you're a biologist."

I leaned back in the seat grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "I hold two Doctorates. One in Electrical Engineering and the other in Supramolecular Chemistry. Not biology. Matter of fact, I didn't like biology at all." They didn't say anything, so I continued. "Now feel like telling me who set you up for this?"

The radio beeped with Kidder's voice. "Anyone at the wheel? Where are we going?"

I couldn't help but giggle again, "We're going to Oregon, to meet up with my 'radical environmental group'."

Cujo relayed the message to all three fliers.

I ran my hands through my hair. So this wasn't as bad as it seemed before. "Do either of you have a cell phone?"

Will gave me a strange look, "Who are you going to call? Anyone could pick the signal up and then we'd have more than the B-2 escorts."

"Technically, I'm not going to make a call. We need access to a topography map so I can tell you guys where to land and I need to send a message to the 'environmental group' so they can find us." I was having way too much fun with this.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

I smirked at Will, "Easy. Access a satellite." He gave me another strange look. "So do you have a cell phone or not?"

"Back in my gear by the Hummer."

"Excellent." I rubbed my hands together. "I'm assuming there is a toolkit somewhere about as well?"

Will stood up and motioned me to follow him, "I'll show you where."

We walked into the belly of the plane and he pointed me in the direction of Cujo's tool chests while he went to get his cell phone. I opened the neatly organized chests and pulled out things that I would need: soldering iron, wire strippers, wire cutters, needle nose pliers, snips and two screw drivers. I also found a nice large metal funnel, a spool of insulated copper wire, a spool of 24-guage wire and a handful of screws. Will came over with the phone and picked up the tools I had set on the floor, "Science fair project?"

"Hmmm, kinda." We went back up into the cockpit and I cracked the phone open, looking over the tiny circuit board inside. "Did this have a full charge?"

"Yes."

"Good. I don't need it dying on me in the middle of the upload." Cutting a few lengths of the 24-guage wires, I stripped the insulation from the ends off and then proceeded to attach the wires to corresponding circuits in the phone. Once I had that completed, I took the funnel and started making cuts in it until I had four 'flaps'. I flattened it as best I could then took a screwdriver and punched a hole in each flap just below the rim. I pushed a screw through each of the holes and tied a length of stripped copper wire around the top and the bottom of each screw, firmly holding it in place. When all four were done, I bent the wires together and wrapped them around a fifth screw. Finally, I attached the wires from the bottom side of the flattened funnel to the 24-guage wires and ran a quick battery test on the phone. I turned the device off and checked the welds and connections carefully, "Not very discrete or fashionable, but you'll work."

I crawled further into the cockpit and held my new 'phone' up to the windows, carefully tilting it in my hand while watching the screen of the cell phone.

Will glanced at the device, "What is that?"

"Satellite phone." I didn't look up at the odd looks Cujo and Will passed back and forth. "Now you truly have unlimited long distance service."

It took a few moments before the cell phone beeped with the familiar signal. "Gotcha! Now let's see if you're in a talkative mood, Sky spy." Since cell phones weren't designed for Cybertronian text messaging, I had to vocally activate the linkup with Sky spy. I held the cell phone to my ear and enunciated the access codes to the mini-satellite vocally. It took a few minutes to gain access, but Sky spy sent a welcome beep when I finally made the uplink connection.

I accessed an area map and found a fairly flat space ten miles east of the Ark. "How much room do you need to land, Cujo?"

"I can land my baby on a dime."

I held the phone up to him with the information on the space, "Is that too small?"

"Naw. My baby and I can make that easily."

"All right, I'll send a message for them to meet us there."

* * *

Prowl and Optimus Prime were standing on the bridge of the Ark going over final preparations before take off when Teletraan 1 acknowledged a forced transmission being sent from Sky spy. Worried that it was a hacking attempt, Prowl isolated the incoming file and ran it through all of Red Alert's virus and trojan scanners.

"What do you make of it, Prowl?" The Autobot leader stood over his Second in Command's shoulder watching his work on Teletraan 1's main screen.

"Someone used Sky spy to send us a message file. I've scanned it thoroughly for any viruses and it appears to be clean."

"Any idea who sent it or where it came from?"

"No. The security codes used are the most recent. Shall I open it?"

Optimus Prime nodded, "Let's see who wants to talk to us."

_Coordinates 7852-621. Arr Time Approx 0630. 3 planes. 1 helicopter. 6 humans. Flying under radar. Do not reply. Rachel._

Bright blue optics widened in complete surprise, "How in the name of Primus… Can we verify this information with Sky spy, Prowl?"

The Tactician accessed Sky spy's long-range sensors, "Yes. I'm reading three planes on the edge of sensor range. Two are human-built stealth fighters and one is a C-17." Teletraan 1 beeped. "And the message is being sent again on a different frequency."

"Do you think it's a trap?"

Prowl went over Sky spy's long range sensors again looking for more of the stealth aircraft or any readings that seemed out of the ordinary. "It's unknown. It could be a ruse to lure us out, but there is nothing else appearing on Sky spy's sensors minus a few commercial aircraft from New Portland."

The Autobots were to leave Earth's surface in under a joor, but the arrival of the strange message and the appearance of the three aircraft made the Autobot leader pause and think. A slight delay would not be detrimental to their launch window. An investigation of the situation could reunite the Autobots with their human friend and allow him to release his officer from the brig. And the other humans on the military aircraft might be able to explain the situation with their government better.

Prowl looked up expectantly at him. "What do you want to do, Optimus?"

"Gather a force and have them meet us at the entrance."

* * *

Baron's voice came over the radio, "There is nothing out here. I don't even see any back roads. Are we sure someone is going to meet us out here?"

I was literally sitting on the edge of the seat. Four days away from Jazz was bad enough, but these last few minutes until we set down was agonizing. "Don't worry. They'll be here." Actually, I wasn't sure if they would be here. I sent the uplink message five times before the batteries to the satellite phone died.

Kidder and the Nighthawk were on the left of us while Baron and his Blackbird were on our right. Both B-2 Bombers were slightly above the C-17 and all three planes were flying incredibly low to the ground. According to Will and Cujo, that was how you hide something as big as a C-17 from radar. The Silver Stallion had gained some time and was only fifteen minutes behind us.

The Nighthawk swooped lazily over the landscape. "Pretty out here, but all I see are trees and hills. Great place to hide the birds, but shitty place to land. You sure about this, Doctor Milne?"

"We should be coming up on it in the next few minutes."

Alarms started screaming and Cujo swore loudly. "Something's got a lock on me! Taking evasive maneuvers!" The giant C-17 banked to the right hard, and I clung to my seat tightly. The B-2's shot past looking for the source of whoever was targeting us.

There was loud beeping coming over the radios along with Baron's calm voice. "Coming from that mountain ridge on your side, Kidder!"

"I got it."

Something was wrong. "They shouldn't be out this far. They were supposed to meet us at the flats."

"You didn't mention that they were armed, Doctor Milne!"

I looked up at Will slightly stunned, "How else are they supposed to protect themselves?"

Kidder's jovial voice took on a strange tone, "… Baron, will you confirm what's on the ridge for me."

"It's… just a truck?"

"Where?" I couldn't see where the B-2's had gone or what part of the scenery they were talking about. "What kind of truck?"

I saw one of the B-2's swoop over the hills like a deadly raptor circling its prey as Kidder's voice came over the radio. "What do you mean what kind? It's a truck!"

"What color is the truck?"

"Black! And it's got missile lock on me!"

"I've got it, Baron!"

I gripped the headphones tightly. "NO! WAIT! NO!NO!NO!NO! DON'T FIRE ON HIM!"

"It's going to fire on Baron, Doctor Milne!" Will started flipping switches as the alarms went off again. "Shit! We're being targeted again! If this is who we're supposed to meet, they sure don't seem like they want to meet us!"

"Hey! I sent the messages that we were coming in, I didn't think they'd react like this!"

There was more beeping over Baron's radio, "I've got missile lock and I'm preparing to fire."

"NO!" I screamed into the headphones. "Don't fire! Disarm your weapons and don't shoot at him!"

The C-17 pitched again as Cujo banked to the left. "Are you insane, woman!?"

"Disarm, drop your weapons! Whatever! JUST DON'T SHOOT AT HIM!"

"Cujo! Get out of here, we've got him."

Will grabbed my arms and planted me in the seat, "Buckle up!"

I tried to push back at him. "Will! Tell them to stop!"

"Doctor Milne! They've got missile lock on us!"

"Baron and Kidder are about to meet the business end of _plasma cannons_! Please, Will! Tell them to stop!"

He looked at me and Cujo kept looking back and forth between the controls and us.

I pleaded with him. "Please!"

Kidder's voice rang over the radio. "HOLY SHIT! WE'RE BEING TARGETED FROM ALL OVER THE AREA!"

"Please, Will! Tell them to stop!"

He swore. "Baron! Kidder! Do not engage. Break off and fall back to our position!" He shot me a dangerous glare. "Hope you're right about this, Doctor Milne."

I nodded. "I am. You'll see."

The B-2's reappeared at our sides. "They aren't tracking us now. How did they pick us up on radar?"

"They have things other than radar. Their long range sensor array picked us up at least an hour ago." I pushed my hair behind my ears. "Can we circle back to those coordinates from the east? They'll meet us there."

The Nighthawk took front point. "And you think they won't attack us there?"

Will gave me a deadly serious look. "You want to tell us who we're dealing with that has that much technology and firepower?"

"Now is not a good time." I held my hand up when he started to swear at me. "I'm not kidding. This is something you are going to need to see first hand to believe."

Will gave me a level glare. "Try me."

"Fine." I sighed and sat back in my seat. "Well…" I stopped and thought for a moment. I don't think I really considered exactly how to explain the Autobots. 'Giant Alien Robots' didn't cut it. It was like trying to pound a square peg through a round hole. "Do you feel like you have a good grasp on what your existence entails and what is more or less going on in the world?"

"I've been around, if that's what you're asking."

"What if one day you awoke to find everything had changed? That in the blink of an eye, everything you knew and were comfortable with disappeared leaving you to stand there gaping at a much bigger picture that you never would have dreamed existed?"

Will's answer was cutoff by Kidder. "Whoa…. Look at those cars, Baron!"

"Pay more attention to that crazy truck coming right for us!"

Charging through the dirt flat was a black Topkick, a red and blue semi truck and a silver and black Mustang. This time there were no alarms going off or evasive maneuvering. The B-2's peeled away from protecting us a final time as Cujo started to land the C-17.

His 'landing on a dime' was more quarter-sized and we rolled for a while before the plane actually stopped.

I glanced at Will and grinned before giving some parting advice over the headphones, "Please try not to freak out and don't call the truck 'crazy'." I looked over to Cujo who was gazing out the windows at the assortment of vehicles. "It's been nice flying with you, but can we get out now?"

Will released the door and slowly descended the steps. I tried to run past him, but he put his hand out and grabbed me, pushing me behind him. "Will, what's going on?" The were two clicking noises and I looked over my shoulder to see Cujo standing on the steps holding a very big gun and eyeing the line of vehicles warily.

I socked Will in the back hard, "You lied to me, you bastard! You said you were called in to 'help'!" I pushed at him to get away only to have Cujo's hand on my shoulder. I glared back and forth at them. "All I have to do is yell it's a trap and they'll take you down." My threat and blatant lie didn't see to faze either of them so I went back to struggling. "Let me go!"

Will's voice was very low as he scanned the group of Autobots in their alternate forms. "Doctor Milne, we don't know who these people are. If they are your friends then why did they target us?"

"Probably to make sure we weren't a trap!" I snarled quietly to him, "Now let me go!"

"I can't do that until we're certain they are who you think they are. For all we know some one stole their cars and is pretending to be them."

I had to put my hand over my mouth to stifle a grin before I succumbed to a nasty fit of giggles as I realized how it must look from their viewpoint.

Will's voice was low again as he suspiciously continued to watch. "Now is not the time for jokes, Doctor Milne."

"If you will let me through and put the guns away, I will show you how I am sure these are the people that I say they are."

"In this light, I can't see who's at the wheel of any of the cars, Will." Cujo leaned forwards slightly.

"I can't either."

I sighed loudly and shook my head, "You wouldn't see them anyways."

One of the B-2's had circled around the flat and was coming to a stop behind the C-17 slowly. Optimus had pulled to the front, with Prowl and Ironhide off to his sides. Mirage, Bluestreak, Sunstreaker, and Sideswipe were spread around them. Jazz wasn't among them and I wondered where he was as the strange dream I had fluttered to the surface of my mind. None of the Autobots made any move to transform or to come any closer and Will refused to budge from the bottom steps. It was a tense situation with neither group talking, just staring each other down. It was becoming ridiculous. There was only one course of action to take. "Optimus! Come closer so I can explain to them please!"

Will shot me a poisonous glare, "What did you do that for!?"

"Because you're acting like a scared child. They are NOT here to harm you. And this will be a lot easier to do if you two would lower those weapons!"

"Did you forget that they nearly shot us out of the air?"

The Autobot leader rolled closer but still kept at a healthy distance. "Are you all right, Rachel?"

"I've had better days, but I'm fine." I tried to push at Will again, but he still wouldn't move. "How should I explain to them what is going on?"

"Just tell them the truth."

"Will, can you get Kidder and Baron over here?" He gave me a reproving look and I sighed in defeat. "Okay. Lets go collect them then. You can use me as a hostage or a shield or whatever and we'll go together. They aren't going to follow us and I promise not to make a run for it."

"Just tell us what is going on."

"Fine." I glanced in irritation between the two men. "Do you believe in aliens?"

Cujo gave me a quick look before returning to watch the Autobots. I sighed loudly and rubbed the bridge of my nose. I just wanted to find Jazz and curl up in his arms. "All right. In a nutshell, there is a war happening on Earth between two different factions of a highly advanced alien race from the planet Cybertron. The Decepticons, who are the bad guys, are trying to suck the planet and solar system dry of its energy. The good guys, the Autobots, are here to protect us and the Earth from the Decepticons." I pointed to the red and blue semi truck in front of us. "Will. Cujo. I would like to introduce you to Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots. Optimus. Meet Will and Cujo, my uh, rescuers."

The sound of well-tuned pistons and rotating gears filled the air as Optimus Prime transformed in front of the two soldiers' eyes. I was pressed back into the steps as the two gaped at the giant Autobot standing where the semi once was. He knelt down and held out one of his massive hands to Will. "It is very nice to meet you, Will."

"Holy shit…"

* * *

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know, please!


	15. Chapter 15 Dodging the Bullet

A/N:_ I'm not exactly happy with how this came out, but if I keep staring at it I'll go mad. There is a hint of fluff that I did not intend to happen and I wasn't going to keep it, but I like it now. There are two love stories happening in 'Countdown', and I'm not talking about Skywarp's 'crush' on Rachel. I haven't decided if I'll expand on the accidental fluff, but it's an option - it will really depress things in the end if I keep it, but it will remain an open option. Cookies to guess the new fluff! And I'm wondering if anyone has figured out the second love story yet. -dun dun dun- And I couldn't help the Seeker silliness, even if they are technically 'bad guys' they still are best friends and you're allowed to act silly when around friends.  
_

Synopsis: The secrets of the Seekers is out and now the terrors of the skies are in danger. We find out that not all is what it seems to be and our six rescuers (yes, six) come to grips that there are 'giant alien robots' on Earth. We also get a look into how two completely different races conduct interrogations. Rachel gets really slaggin' pissed off. We find out a little more about Thundercracker's fan club and the Autobots witness the most bizarre event ever!

Just remember that not all that seems to be lost is gone.

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews are given much love and I really appreciate my readers for putting up with my lateness in posting chapters. I am organized, really I am. If you like what you're reading, please drop me a line. If you hate it, please tell me why. If I don't know what I'm doing wrong, I can't change and make it better.

Story Arc 7

**Chapter 15 – Dodging the Bullet**

Starscream watched the Veritech approach, the pre-dawn light outlining Jetfire's body and wings with a faint pink glow. The Seeker crossed his arms over his cockpit as he watched the gentle scientist transform in the air and glide like a leaf in a breeze to the ground. His landing was quiet and graceful even for a mech his size, his feet not even stirring the dust on the small plateau. Starscream had called Jetfire out here to talk, but as the minutes ticked away, the Seeker and the Veritech only stood there silently staring at each other in the early glow. Icy blue optics watched the conflicted red Seeker noticing that he was having some trouble keeping his normally guarded emotions in check. Blood red optics catching the glitter of the dawn light narrowed as he realized Jetfire was scrutinizing him. He huffed and turned away.

Upon seeing his reaction, Jetfire decided it would be best if he broke the silence. "You know we've been trying to contact you, Starscream. Megatron refuses to answer us and we were starting to think you died when the crystal was destroyed. I went back three times looking for you-" The red Seeker turned his head slightly to glare at him from beneath his helmet before looking back at the horizon.

Jetfire paused before trying a different tactic to get Starscream to talk to him. The gentle scientist noticed the damage to the Seeker's wings and the amount of energon that was seeping down his side. He could only guess how much pain the Air Commander was in from his wounds. "Are you all right, Starscream? Your wings –"

Starscream glowered at the sun peeking over the horizon. There was anger in his voice, but not the seething, burning inferno that was always present in the Seeker. Instead, his voice was low and heavy with the anger millions of years old and wary of finally getting some release. "I knew I shouldn't have let you explore the northern hemisphere of this mud ball planet for that energy signal alone. We should have searched for the source together instead of splitting up. But you said you could handle it and that we could cover more ground if we scanned for it separately… I- I searched for you for days. Circling the entire planet and using every sensor and radio frequency to try and establish some contact. I knew you had crashed and needed my help… but after a deca-cycle and depleting my reserves I was forced to send a message to Thundercracker and Skywarp to meet me on the way back because I didn't have the energy to return to Cybertron..." He pursed his lips tightly as if he knew that he was going to regret what he was about to say. "If I had gone with you... things might have been different."

Jetfire was silent as he watched the troubled Seeker. Something had happened for Starscream to search him out and bring about this sudden change in behavior. "Starscream, are you all-"

"Let me speak!" The Air Commander turned slightly and spat at him, but with little heat behind his words. He looked back out at the dawning sun. "Things were… easier then, weren't they? When all we had to worry about was getting our survey reports completed and catalogue alien flora samples…" He frowned. "But then I lost you in that storm, and the war came… and everything changed." Starscream peered over his shoulder at Jetfire, the amount of pain, anger, hatred and betrayal that had replaced his general snarky smirk startled the gentle scientist.

"You were lucky, in a sense. You weren't there to watch the destruction of the University. You missed the countless dead students and faculty that were pulled from the wreckage. The hundreds of people we once knew snuffed out in one vengeful act." He opened and closed his fist rapidly, the sickening crunch of damaged metal being crushed as he mangled his knuckles again in his fury. Starscream glared at the ground, "When I found you in the ice… I thought you would comprehend why we hated the Autobots. That you, out of all people, would _understand_ what we went through that day. But you didn't understand. Instead, you joined with the Autobots. And I hated you for that. For your betrayal and your inability to grasp the _anguish_ we went through that day. I hated you, Jetfire. With every single circuit of my being, I _hated_ you."

Jetfire took a few tentative steps towards the troubled Seeker. "But I didn't know what had happened at the Academies, Starscream. I was here on Earth when that happened."

"I realize that now. You had no idea what had happened and I didn't explain the situation beyond the statement that the Autobots had destroyed the University. I should have realized… No, I should have _remembered_ that you always needed ample proof before you came to any conclusions." The Air Commander turned to glare at the sun. "You were always calm and deliberate… never letting your emotions take control of your reasoning. The complete opposite of me. That is why we worked so well together, wasn't it? Because between the two of us, we were able to see the entire picture and not just the pieces from our subjective perspectives." He paused and frowned. "Heh, it's rather ironic. Losing you here on this rotten planet probably saved you from dying in the blasts that destroyed the University."

"Starscream –"

"I'm not done." He snarled, but once again there was no heat behind it. "I had been searching for the harmonic radiation signals while we were exploring. I wasn't scanning this system we when first came to Earth because there was no mention in the text about this star system, nor was there anything about the different signals. I assumed the radiation signs were purely primordial because of the age of this planet. Had I known about it and was able to pinpoint a location for it… Had I known that the signal was what had drawn you so close to that storm… I should have stopped you. I should have been there with you." Without turning away from his position on the plateau or even looking at the Veritech, Starscream pulled the data pad from his subspace and held it out to Jetfire. "You wanted to know why we were interested in the artifacts?"

The gentle scientist reached out and took the data pad from Starscream. He looked at the pad and then at the Seeker before activating it and flipping through the first couple of pages; the copyright dates in the introduction were ancient by Cybertronian standards. "'The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight'? You're searching for the lost history of the Seekers?"

The red Seeker nodded without turning around. "And the technology they had discovered. While we were collecting the pollen samples on Aghartha in the Fryaite System, I found one of the artifacts with detailed instructions about mass displacement. And that planet Nerina, with the sulfur based life forms? I found the artifact with designs for energy-based weapons. They weren't Cybertronian inventions as we had been taught. It was alien technology that the Seekers found. A lot of the technology that we take for granted comes from the artifacts that the original Seekers had recovered. According to that text there are more artifacts out there that the Seekers were not able to find in time."

Jetfire flipped through more of the text while listening to Starscream, "In time for what?"

Starscream looked over his shoulder at the gentle scientist with a wry smirk, "According to Storm Flight it was before the doors to the Unmaker's prison were opened. He tells the author about fighting in front of the last gates against some highly advanced race that killed most of the Seekers. He was able to close the gate with the other remaining Seeker, but supposedly she had looked into the gate and saw the face of the Unmaker and went insane. On their way back to Cybertron she filled an airlock with ammunition and blew herself up." The Seeker shrugged, "The author belittles Storm Flight in most of the text. It seems he was not very stable when he returned to Cybertron alone and many believed that he was short a few microchips." He turned his gaze back to the horizon. "Skywarp, Thundercracker and I first heard the stories about the Seekers when we were younglings. I thought it was a silly tale… until the day when Thundercracker found that text in the Iacon Library. Those two glitches had spent a lot of time daydreaming about becoming the best Seekers Cybertron had ever seen…"

The gentle scientist read through a few pages of the text, "You know I would have helped you search for the artifacts if you had asked, Starscream-" Jetfire paused. The trio obviously did not want to share the information they had recovered in case some one else tried to recover the artifacts as well. The Veritech frowned. He had done the same thing by not telling Starscream what the energy signal was. The gentle scientist sighed; if Starscream was telling him about the Seeker's interest in the harmonic radiation, then he should tell him about the signal that he had detected here on Earth. "And I should have shared with you what I thought the radiation signal was, but I wasn't sure if you would believe me if I told you what I assumed it was. The thrill of finding another one on this tiny new planet outweighed my reason."

The red Seeker turned around fully to look at Jetfire, "What do you mean 'another one'?"

The Veritech studied Starscream momentarily as he internally weighed the decision to tell him. Seeing that Skywarp was left to die after Megatron destroyed the crystal and that Starscream had finally opened up to him made the decision easier. "As I said originally when you asked about the harmonic radiation signals, I have seen three of them in total. Those specific signals come from Allsparks, and I have seen one on Cybertron, one on Ceoliaxis, and the one here on Earth."

"Allsparks? There is more than one?" Optic ridges rose, "I thought Cybertron's Allspark was lost."

"Yes. But the one I saw on Cybertron was brought back from an archaeological expedition to a dead world. I had barely started at the University when my mentor brought me in to see it. He was working on deciphering the glyphs; that is how I was able to read some of the inscriptions on the artifact, he explained to me what he had deciphered so far." Jetfire looked at the data pad in his hands. "You and the others learned from this text?"

The red Seeker nodded. "Yes. Each of us has… had a copy of the text. Thundercracker has the original text. He devoured everything he could find about Cybertronian history…"

Jetfire smiled as he brought a holopicture out from his subspace and held it out to Starscream. "I remember. He was just as passionate about history as you were about science. Skywarp, on the other hand, was more interested in fighting and causing trouble."

Curious, Starscream took the holopicture from the Veritech and activated it. Scenes from their small lab flickered across the screen. Starscream's face softened with a slight smile when a picture of him grinning excitedly with Jetfire and waving their first accepted dissertation flashed over the screen. The next holopicture was of him holding his hand up in an attempt to block the recorder from peeking over his shoulder at his new dissertation. The next picture was the both of them trying fervently to contain a flora sample that had broken through its container and was threatening to swallow a table.

The Seeker lost himself in the pictures and the memories that they brought out; but he snapped back to reality when a picture of him trying to finish a project came up with Skywarp and Thundercracker yanking on his wings appeared. He quickly handed the holopictures back and held out his hand for the data pad. "I had wanted to speak to Prime before I went, but that can wait until I get back from Cybertron."

Jetfire traded the pad for the holopictures and pointed at the wound in the Seeker's wing, "In that condition? You need some medical attention before you should fly."

Starscream grumbled quietly, "I'm used to it."

"Let me take you back to the Ark and have Ratchet look at those wounds. Even your hands have been damaged, Starscream. What happened?"

The Air Commander turned his back to Jetfire with a deep frown and muttered, "Sometimes the truth hurts."

Jetfire closed the remaining distance between himself and the red Seeker, "I'm taking you to Ratchet so he can repair some of those wounds. Plus, there is someone who I know is dying to see you."

"I don't have time for that, not like I would let an Autobot anywhere near my wings in the first place." He scowled.

Jetfire tried to put his hand on Starscream's shoulder, but the Seeker flinched making the Veritech withdraw. "Is going home to Cybertron that important right this moment that you can let your own health be tossed to the side?"

The Air Commander snarled over his shoulder, "Yes, it is. I've lost all contact with Thundercracker and I need to-" The articulation servos in his fingers popped loudly again as he clenched his fist. He raised his damaged fingers up and watched in cold fascination as thickening clots of energon dripped down his wrist. "I need to give Skywarp a proper memorial."

Jetfire smiled at Starscream's back, "I am sure he will be touched to know you mean to set up a memorial, but I don't think he's ready to be sent off to the Matrix just yet."

The Seeker turned slowly and growled at the Veritech. "You do know I can and will kill you if you so desire."

"But you'll have a harder time getting into the Ark to see Skywarp then."

Blood red optics narrowed in the morning light as he glared at Jetfire. Go to the Autobot base to see Skywarp? Had the ice prison damaged his thought processes? If Jetfire truly had gone back to search for him then he should have known from the battlefield that the black and purple Seeker was gone. Anyone with half a microchip's worth of sense would have known from the amount of scrap and body armor left on the field that no mech could walk away from that amount of damage. The snarky edge in his voice was gone and replaced with a caustic and cold tone, "Skywarp is dead. He died when Megatron destroyed the artifact."

"No, he didn't, Starscream. I tried to tell you that when I first arrived. Megatron wouldn't answer us and we've been trying to contact you for the last quartex. Skywarp is in our medical bay being repaired."

Starscream glared daggers at Jetfire. "You are lying. I saw with my own optics his torn armor and wings," He pulled the polished chunk of Skywarp's wing from his subspace and held it up. "There was no way he could have survived that."

"He almost didn't survive." Jetfire kept his optics on the increasingly twitchy Seeker. He wasn't looking forwards to a shot by the null ray this early in the morning. "If Ratchet hadn't found him in time, he would have died. But we did find him and brought him back to the Ark. He is sitting there right now and probably giving Ratchet and Wheeljack a hard time again." Jetfire's icy blue optics took on a sad glint. "He used to be so jovial with his off-colored jokes and need for playing pranks, now he's just bitter and cruel. I guess that is what the war has done to most people. Destroyed how full of life they were and replaced it with hatred."

Optics narrowed to fine slits. "You're lying." There was no possible way that the black and purple Seeker could have survived that amount of fluid loss with so much of his body armor scattered across the barren landscape. The Autobots would have suffered damage as well, and what kind of Autobot would forsake their own for a Decepticon who took a sadistic pleasure in destroying his enemies? _It was logically impossible_.

"Then come back with me so Ratchet can look at your wounds and you can prove me wrong." A small smile crept across Jetfire's faceplate. "Did you know he calls me 'Starscream's better half' and 'the sane-circuits Starscream is missing'?"

The scowl deepened. "This is some Autobot plot to capture me."

"It isn't. You know I would not trick you like that." Jetfire held his hands out in front of him as if to prove that he was no threat to the Seeker. "You can talk to Optimus while Ratchet looks at your wings. And, if you would like, I will stay there with you."

Starscream glared at the ground as his conflicted emotions ravaged his spark. He needed to speak to Prime, but he also needed to find Thundercracker. What if there was a chance that the Autobot medic had gotten to Skywarp before he bled out completely and was now in the Autobot base? And what if Jetfire wasn't lying? The probability that Jetfire was lying was impossibly narrow. It would be an incredibly cruel trick for Jetfire to aver that Skywarp was alive, but the gentle scientist didn't have a cruel circuit in his body. The Seeker shook his head, angry with himself for falling into this obvious head game that his once-friend was playing on him. "Skywarp is dead."

"He isn't dead, Starscream."

The red Seeker lashed out at the Veritech violently, a murderous fury burning in his optics. "Do you think I am stupid, Jetfire!" Starscream's voice reverted to its hostile and screechy pitch. "HE IS DEAD! And none of your inane Autobot _drivel_ to convince me otherwise will work!"

Undeterred icy blue optics watched the boiling anger in Starscream rage. So much pain and hatred behind red optics that were once violet. "Starscream." Jetfire calmly reached out to the Seeker. "Have I ever lied to you?"

"It's been millions of years, Jetfire! Everyone has changed. I have changed, and you," His voice rose another octave. "Whether or not you want to accept it, have changed. Things are _different_ now, and it is logically impossible for Skywarp to have survived that blast and even more illogical that the Autobots would have saved him!"

"Then prove me wrong, Starscream. Come back with me to the Ark and see for yourself. Somewhere deep inside your processors, you know I am not lying to you." He held out his hand to Starscream. "_Come with me_."

The Air Commander's narrow optics stared at the white hand offered to him, his emotions raging unchecked and clouding his thoughts. He could not think of any instance where Jetfire had lied to him. Not even a white lie. That small and uncertain chance that Jetfire was still as honest and truthful as he always had been, that the gentle scientist _hadn't_ changed as much as Starscream thought he had. And the chance that Skywarp was with the Autobots… The miniscule probability that the black and purple Seeker was still alive… He shut his optics tightly, cringing as his logic circuits fought for control. It was_impossible_. Completely _improbable_. Yet, a tiny and forgotten voice from deep inside him whispered that Jetfire was telling the truth and that he should _trust his friend_. He snarled at the voice, _we are not friends anymore_. The voice countered his attempt at denial: _You are the only one who believes that_. He opened his optics and stared at the offered hand again. Jetfire had never lied to him and the chance that Skywarp was truly alive would plague him if he went back to Cybertron now.

He let a weary and defeated sigh circulate through his intakes and nodded, "Fine."

Jetfire smiled softly at Starscream as the red Seeker finally looked up at him. "I'll let Optimus know that I'm bringing you to see Skywarp and that you wish to speak with him. Do you want me to remain with you while to talk to Optimus?"

"Just prove to me that Skywarp is alive." Starscream turned to look at the beginning of the new day; the sun's welcoming light now warming the Seeker's wings as it opened its inviting arms to him. There was a white hand on his shoulder as the Veritech moved up beside him. And this time he didn't flinch from the touch.

* * *

Tiny red optics recorded the entire exchange between Starscream and Jetfire. The small Cassetticon sat in a tree not far from the plateau where the two mechs had stood, hidden between branches and using an image-warping program to avoid being spotted in the early morning light. He watched them transform and fly off to the west towards the Autobot base. The metal condor waited patiently until he could no longer hear the sounds from their engines before he took flight and headed back to the Nemesis with the information that Megatron ordered him to gather.

That traitorous Starscream was meeting with Optimus Prime. Laserbeak gave a small caw of satisfaction. Megatron and Soundwave would be pleased with the information he had gathered!

* * *

Little did the metal condor know that the information he had gathered was already being reviewed by optics other than Megatron's…

Hook and Scrapper grinned as they replayed the entire conversation between Jetfire and Starscream. The engineer turned to Scrapper, rubbing his hands together eagerly, "Imagine the possibilities of recovering that alien technology! We could bring about a new Golden Age on Cybertron with the information contained in those artifacts!"

Scrapper gave him a wicked glare, "We need the text that Starscream has. With the promise of advanced alien technology and the power of the Allspark, we could remake the face of Cybertron in our image! The entire planet, Hook! All of Cybertron would be ours to recreate!"

The engineer laughed, "Devastator has been waiting to pluck the wings off of that Seeker."

* * *

He sat hunched over a small computer monitor in the Science Academy's library downloading texts on ancient Cybertronian history. It had been quite awhile since Thundercracker had a chance to read anything other than battle plans and weapon schematics, and since he was 'stuck' until the Space Bridge was fixed, he needed something to do to keep him from snapping and killing the one-optic freak Shockwave.

The databases in the Science Academy had a paltry selection of anything besides scientific manuals and research papers. Starscream would have blown circuits at the lack of research material stored. Especially the insignificant 'statement' about harmonic radiation. He knew there was more information about it before the University and Library was destroyed; but like the remains of the Library, the information was shoved aside and completely forgotten. The one redeeming factor that the databases held were the texts about off-world archaeological digs.

The Seeker was downloading a final text about an expedition to Coeliaxis when he felt like he was being watched. He didn't need to turn around to know it was that strange femme who had approached him at the bar, and this time she had company. Thundercracker rubbed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger – this was becoming highly annoying. He cast a glance behind him before getting up quietly from the computer and walking over to the shelf where his audience was standing. There was a sudden silver shimmer from behind the shelves and light footfalls as someone retreated quickly from the group. He strode up to the remaining two femmes standing there and crossed his arms over his cockpit. "Is there some specific reason why you keep following me around?"

Bright azure optics fluttered at him as the green and gray femme put the book she was 'reading' back on the shelf. "Fancy seeing you here, Thundercracker."

His eyes drifted between the dark blue femme and Astral, "Cut the slag. What do you want?"

"Is it a crime to peek at a handsome mech?"

The silent dark blue femme kicked the green and gray femme beside her and cast a glance at the shelves behind them. Astral didn't flinch or stop a beat in her near wanton flirting. "I bet there aren't many mechs in the Decepticon ranks who read and study as much as you do, Thundercracker. Except for maybe Starscream, but I've heard he's difficult to be around and not as good looking as you are."

The sound of books hitting the floor resounded loudly through the quiet library and the dark blue femme put her face in her hands. The Seeker craned his neck to see where the noise was coming from only to have Astral run her fingers down his arm. "So what are you reading now?"

He carefully took a hold of her hand and pushed it away from him. "I'm going to say this once politely… Leave me alone, Autobot. I don't know what your little game is, but if I catch you following me again I will take you back to Decepticon Headquarters and hand you over to Shockwave. Got it?"

The femme pouted at him, "But you're so interesting… And aren't you the least bit curious as how I know so much about you?"

Thundercracker leaned in close to her with a cold look, "I. Don't. Care. Stop following me."

She tilted her head slightly and looked up at him while biting her lower lip in an attempt to look cute. "But what if I have information that you would find useful and maybe even surprising?"

The Seeker straightened and glared at her with a sigh. "You have two nano-kliks to prove to me that your 'information' is 'useful'."

She gave him a knowing smile. "That door in the Library leads to a laboratory."

Thundercracker gave the femme a level and sarcastic glare. "Wow. What insight! I never would have guessed it was a lab inside the University. Now, leave me alone." He turned to walk back to the computer when a green and gray hand grabbed his arm.

"It's a lab that hasn't been opened in millions of years. The instructor who it belonged to went missing on an archaeological mission to Mira-12, in the Proxima Centauri System." Astral smiled sweetly at him, "Nightflare was the mentor of someone you know."

His interest was piqued now, "Who?"

She fluttered her optics at him again, "Jetfire. He had been Nightflare's student for less than a vorn before he went missing. A deca-cycle later, Jetfire was partnered with Starscream."

Thundercracker mulled over this new information as he glanced between the silent femme and the pestering green and gray one. "All right. Your information was useful, now will you please stop following me around?" He turned to leave, but the femme grabbed his arm again. The Seeker sighed loudly but didn't turn around, "Now what?"

"Don't you want to know the surprising information?" The silent dark blue femme punched Astral in the arm and tried to pull her away. The green and gray femme was unfazed. "I promise this is the best news you will have heard in a long time."

The dark blue Seeker turned and glared at her, "What?"

The silent femme yanked on the green and gray femme's arm in a near panic-stricken state as Astral smiled sweetly at him… And then the fire claxons blared to life. The blue femme managed to tug the other one away, but not before she shouted over the noise to him. "Oops! I'll have to tell you later, Thundercracker! Have fun studying!"

The dark blue Seeker shook his head as he gathered his data pads and left the building with the other students. Crazy femmes, but the information about the lab and Jetfire was very interesting and was a decent lead to follow… if he ever got back to Earth.

* * *

"YOU ARE SUCH AN IDIOT!" Golden optics flared in anger at her trouble-making friend. "Now he'll go back into the Library for sure!"

"You need to calm down about all of this and think." Azure optics gave the golden ones an annoyed look. "He's only interested in what is behind that door. If he wanted to destroy anything in the Library he could have done it with a sonic boom or any number of weapons. Instead, he tried forcing the door and hacking the door panel. And setting off the fire alarm was juvenile, even for you."

Golden optics smoldered in a piercing glare between the other two. "You almost told him!" She rounded on the blue femme as his form shimmered and returned to his natural state. "And you were supposed to keep her from doing anything stupid!" The silent mech shrugged and looked at Astral.

"He's intelligent, good looking, spends his free time flying and reading and I know you still-"

"SHUT UP!" The golden optics flared brighter and she snarled in Astral's face. "Just shut up! Or I'll tell Ultra Magnus that you're slipping out at nights to train in the lower levels of Iacon!"

Azure optics narrowed, "You wouldn't dare. Especially if I told him that you practically_begged_ Quicksilver and I to keep tabs on Thundercracker for you."

The silent blue mech backed away from the angry femmes as they stared each other down. He just knew he was astro-seconds away from needing to break up another fight between the two. He shook his head and wondered, yet again, why he let them talk him into these crazy situations.

* * *

I couldn't help but sigh as I was pressed back into the steps between the two very shocked soldiers as Optimus Prime transformed and held his hand out to Will.

"It is very nice to meet you, Will."

"Holy shit..."

I heard the gun that Cujo had been holding knock against the railing as his arm went slack. "It's a fucking robot!"

"_He_ is not an 'it'. _His_ name is _Optimus Prime_, and _he_ is the _leader_ of the Autobots."

I was promptly ignored. "It's a big fucking robot!"

I could hear the Pave Low arriving as I put my head in my hands and sighed in exasperation. "That's it. I'm tired of this. No more." I wiggled my way out from between the two men, ducking under the thick railing and walked over to Optimus. I must have looked completely pathetic standing there barefoot in my wrinkled clothes next to the kneeling Autobot. "Can we please go home?"

The other Autobots started to transform around us as I stared up into the kindly blue optics. "We will, Rachel. I would like to talk to them first."

I nodded numbly as a large pair of golden hands lifted me off the ground. I looked up into azure optics, "Are you okay, Angel?"

An identical set of azure optics appeared over his twin's shoulder as I looked up into Sunstreaker's face. I glanced between the two warriors and my lower lip started to tremble. All the built up stress from the past few days came to a head as it finally sunk in that I was safe now, and I burst into tears. "I was so scared, Sunny! They put me in a cell and took away my Teletraan 1. I didn't know how I was going to be able to contact everyone! And then these guys show up and put me on a plane! I hate flying! I just want to go home, Sunny. And where's Jazz? Why isn't he here?"

The golden warrior hugged me as I sobbed against his chest plate. I felt another hand on my back and Sideswipe's voice was close by. "It's okay, Angel. You're safe now and Sunny and I won't let anything happen to you."

"Where is Jazz?"

"He couldn't come with us, but he'll be back at the base waiting for you."

I sniffled and rubbed my eyes with the back of one hand as I clung to the golden chest plate. "O-okay." I looked back to the C-17, Will had moved off the steps and closer to Optimus; still at a safe distance, but his curiosity was getting the best of him.

Behind the C-17, the Pave Low had landed and someone had gotten out as the rotors slowly came to a stop. The man was joined by Kidder, and the guy who I assumed was Baron, as they made their way over to Optimus Prime. The two pilots hung back as the first man came to a stop a few feet away from Optimus and saluted him. Obviously this man knew who the Autobots were. He was wearing dark colored pants, a matching jacket that was open in the front with a light colored shirt underneath, and a beret with some insignia on the front. He was also carrying a briefcase and large duffle bag that he set down when he saluted Optimus. I blinked rapidly trying to clear my tears away as I recognized the man. "Wes?"

Optimus seemed just as confused as I was. "We were informed that you had died, Mister Secretary."

He snorted and shook his head ruefully, "'The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated.' No, Optimus. The Secretary of Defense died. Heart attack in the middle of the night, I hear. He's to receive full military honors and my space in Arlington." He shook his head again, "I was held up by my military escort while I was waiting for my plane to refuel in San Francisco. Suddenly 'chest pains' got me a first-class ride to the Veterans Hospital, where I luckily knew some of the staff and they were able to smuggle me out. I got in touch with my boys and sent them after Rachel. And now the retired colonel, Wes Granger, is here with his men to offer our assistance to you, Optimus." The other men were still wary and unsure about the giant alien robots, but more at ease with Wes standing there and talking to Optimus Prime.

"Let me introduce you to my boys, Optimus." The group of men quickly fell into line, backs straight and chins high. As Wes introduced each of them, they saluted briskly. "This is Captain Mark 'Kidder' Carter, current pilot of the B-2 'Nighthawk'. Lieutenant David 'Cujo' Northrop, current pilot of the C-17 'Babe', Captain Quinn 'Swifty' Arrowway, current pilot of the HH-53 Pave Low 'Silver Stallion'. Major Adam 'Baron' Granger, current pilot of the B-2 'Blackbird'. And U.S Ranger Captain Will Lennox."

Optimus Prime saluted each of the men, stopping to look at Baron. "You son?"

Wes nodded, "My kid. The rest might as well be mine." He looked over the small group with a wistful pride. "All kids from men in my platoon in 'Nam. All good boys and excellent soldiers. Hand-picked by myself for all the missions that technically aren't on the books, if you get my drift."

Optimus nodded knowingly, "Back before the Great War started there was a group on Cybertron specifically for that type of mission, I believe they were called 'Wraiths'."

"Sounds like what my boys are, but they're known as 'Ghosts'. And regardless of what your 2IC says, you'll need our help, especially with what they're planning."

The kindly blue optics of the Autobot leader looked at the man curiously, "What who were planning, Wes?"

"The President and Joint Chief's." He sighed heavily, "They see you and your men as a threat to the planet, Optimus. The plan was to 'extract' information about your technology from Rachel and then use it against you." He paused and stared at the ground, as if gathering his thoughts. When he did speak, his voice was low and deeply troubled. "According to Kidder, Rachel spoke in a foreign language every time he witnessed the interrogations."

I felt a chill go down my spine and my stomach clench up tightly. I didn't remember being interrogated at all. "...What did they do to me?"

"Sodium thiopental..." Wes looked up at me, tears forming in his bright eyes. "I'm so sorry, Rachel. If I had known..."

I wrapped my arms around my body tightly and shivered. No wonder I had felt so awful in the cell and couldn't keep track of time, they had drugged me in hopes that I would divulge information about the Autobots. Kidder had seen them do it, but who knew exactly how many times they had drugged me; he wasn't my only guard the entire time I was there. I shivered again and was held closer to a warming chest plate as Sunstreaker altered his body temperature for me.

"Sir?" Swifty glanced between Optimus and Wes, "The intelligence reports we intercepted?"

"Yes." Wes cleared his throat and checked his watch, "Optimus, the military is minutes away from launching a frontal assault on the Decepticon base. We picked this up on the radio while we were in the air and I'm assuming there will be a second assault on your base shortly after."

The Autobot leader nodded, "We expected as much and were in the process of leaving the area when we received Rachel's message. We are trying to avoid any confrontations with the military."

"A good plan. Do you have room on your ship for six AWOL soldiers and our four birds, Optimus?"

"I do not think it would be a good idea if you and your men came with us, Wes. This could be a dangerous move and I wouldn't want to put you in any danger."

"We don't exist. When the military sees the B-2's and the Pave Low we'll be fired upon. Hell, if the US Government finds us we'll be lucky to see the inside of Guantanamo Bay." Wes held his arms out to his sides. "When you said that allspark thing was going to cause problems, I gathered up my boys to help solve that issue before it became a multinational complication, so here we are to help. We may be just small aliens to you, but this is _our planet_ and we want to fight to keep it safe and out of Decepticon hands."

Optimus Prime looked at the group of men before chuckling lightly. "You're right. This is for your planet, and it would be wrong of me to deny you the right to fight for it." He held out his massive hand to Wes. "We welcome your courage and help."

I shivered again in Sunstreaker's hands as I watched Optimus and Wes shake hands. It was a good thing that they were actually here to help out like Will said, but I still couldn't help but feel sick from the whole experience. The irony of the situation was painful. A year ago I was working non-stop to help save lives only to have the people I tried so hard to protect violate me with mind-altering drugs. And out of all the people I tried to help, only five soldiers and one retired Army Colonel helped me.

"Optimus? Ratchet wants Rachel in the med bay right now." Sunstreaker lowered his hands and I reluctantly crawled out of them.

"Keep your comlink open and report any activity you see, Sunstreaker."

The golden warrior transformed and I shakily crawled inside his driver side door, curling up in his warm leather seats and shutting my eyes.

"I will escort them back to base and prepare the landing bays for the human vehicles." Prowl waited for Optimus to nod before transforming as well and following us back to the Ark.

A golden light on Sunstreaker's dashboard lit up, "I'll have you back in the Hatchet's tender care in a few minutes, Angel."

I nodded numbly and wrapped my arms around myself tighter.

"It'll be okay, Angel."

I stared blankly out the window at the scenery as it sped past us, "No. I don't think it will."

* * *

"Where is she?" Ratchet bellowed the moment Sunstreaker arrived with Rachel.

The young woman was huddled into herself, her arms wrapped tightly around her small shivering frame as the golden warrior carried her into the med bay. The grouchy medic carefully scooped her out of Sunstreaker's hands and scanned her quickly for injuries, scowling at the size of the contusion on the back of her head. "Rachel, I need you to talk to me."

Her haunted gaze and the hollow sound of her voice made Ratchet want to flinch. "…they drugged me…"

Bright blue optics narrowed in fury as the golden warrior explained further. "The humans were interrogating her to get information about us. The one human who saw it said she only spoke in Cybertronian."

"Where is Jazz?" Rachel sounded completely lost. "Why isn't he here?"

Ratchet shot a glare at Sunstreaker as he opened a comlink. _"Do NOT say anything until I find out the effects of whatever they gave her."_

"He'll be here any minute now, Rachel." Ratchet set the young woman on a table and quickly pulled a monitor and scanner over to examine her. "Look up at me, Rachel."

She obediently looked at him as he flashed a small light into her wet eyes, she had been crying and tears still clung to her lashes. The grouchy medic attached sensors to her temples and connected them to the monitor, scowling as the scanner found the chemical still in her systems. "Sodium thiopental."

One set of azure optics and one set of bright red optics watched Ratchet run tests on her. Skywarp slid off his table and hopped on his one good leg over to them, "What's that?"

The grouchy medic shot the Seeker an annoyed look, "Go sit down."

Skywarp sat down directly behind her and peered into the monitor. Rachel's gaze fell to her hands in her lap and the Seeker fought off a strange urge to try and comfort her. Primus knows just how many times she had done it for him, but the odd feelings of pity and anger against those who had done this to her was confusing for him.

Sunstreaker was at the edge of the table and glaring at the black and purple Seeker, "Get back to your table."

"Shut up." Ratchet was also glaring at him. "I'm sitting down and not causing any trouble."

"You give me any slag…"

"I'm not doing anything but sitting, Ratchet."

Bright blue optics narrowed at the Seeker.

The Seeker gave the grouchy medic an annoyed scowl, "What? I'm not doing anything."

"I believe that's the first time you've actually used my name, Skywarp."

Skywarp snorted, "Don't get your exhaust systems in a knot over it. Now, what did they do to the femme?"

Ratchet looked revolted as he researched the internet for information about the drug. "Humans call it a 'truth serum'. It's a drug to weaken her resolve and force her to be more compliant under the pressure of interrogations."

Sunstreaker stared at the grouchy medic, "Is she going to be okay?"

He nodded, "She won't feel good for a few days, but she'll be fine."

"She doesn't look fine," Skywarp tilted his head to get a better view of the dazed young woman. "She's got that look like a mech does after one of Soundwave's mind-plowing sessions."

The Seeker now had the attention of both mechs in the room. Ratchet was the first to speak, "Mind-plowing?"

"You've never seen any of the prisoners that Megatron has his unit of psychics interrogate?" Neither mech answered him and Skywarp focused his gaze on the young woman in front of him, muttering. "Probably a good thing."

Ratchet and Sunstreaker shared a look before turning their attention back to the Seeker. "What do they do?"

The med bay was eerily quiet as Ratchet and Sunstreaker watched the sullen Seeker relate the depth of Megatron's cruelty. Skywarp sounded disgusted and he didn't meet the other mech's optics as he recounted the complete depravity of the Decepticons torturing techniques. "Anyone that Megatron, or Shockwave, thinks might have useful information is handed over to Soundwave or one of the other psychics for interrogation. They break down the mental defenses and unravel a mechs mind until there is nothing but an empty shell. Memories are removed and stored on a mainframe in the psychic ward, then their CPU's are completely erased leaving nothing but an empty drone." The Seeker paused for a moment before continuing, his optics not moving from the young woman in front of him, "…It's not just captured Autobots either. Any Neutral that is accused of aiding the Autobots ends up being mind-plowed. And new recruits are sent through the ward to see the psychics at work as a scare tactic to keep them in line… and that Decepticons are just as likely to end up in the ward as any Autobot prisoner."

"How did Starscream avoid it then? I would have thought that he'd be the first one Megatron would send to Soundwave."

Skywarp's frown deepened. Under normal circumstances, he would never have revealed how Thundercracker, Starscream and himself managed to evade all attempts to access their minds psychically, but as damaged as he was he would need the Autobot medic to verify the coding Starscream had written to keep Soundwave out of their minds. "'Screamer wrote a program for us to block Soundwave and any other psychic scans and embedded it our autonomous systems so it couldn't be found by Hook or any of the other Constructicons during repairs. The moment someone tried to scan one of us, the program would kick in and warn the other two." He chuckled wryly, "It slagged off Soundwave so much that he couldn't access any of us. But that coding is probably messed up with everything else and the moment I make it back to Megatron he'll send me to the psychic ward or Shockwave."

If the description of Soundwave's mind-plowing wasn't disgusting enough, Skywarp's account of what happened to prisoners sent directly to Shockwave was viciously abominable. The Guardian of Cybertron was well known for his 'toys', but the explanations of some of his favored techniques to get mechs to talk were beyond deplorable. Shockwave was fond of a device that would disable sensor arrays and disrupt a mech's equilibrium. Once disabled, the mech was placed in a darkened room and shot at from all angles. The shots would barely scorch armor but with pain receptors ghosting the hits, the effects of this mode of torture would break a mech in under a jour. Another toy he used on a regular basis would heighten every sensor node in the body, and then small incisions would be made in lesser energon lines so the mech could 'feel' every agonizing nano-klik as his life-force slowly bled out.

Skywarp scowled again in disgust, and the look on his faceplate was easily caught by Ratchet. "Why in the name of Primus do you follow a mech who does that to his own people?"

Bright red optics snapped to glare heatedly at the grouchy medic, "And the Autobots haven't interrogated their own prisoners for information? They haven't done their fair share of killing and destruction? How many innocents get caught up in your attacks on the Decepticons? How many have ended up dead because of the Autobot resistance?"

Sunstreaker growled at the Seeker, "If you haven't noticed, _Decepticon_, we're in the middle of a war."

"Oh, I'm very well aware of that fact, _Autobot_. Prime and your resistance have made it painfully clear to us over the millions of year's we've been fighting that you have no qualms about killing those who stand in the way of your cause. '_Freedom is the right of all sentient beings' - _unless they're Decepticons or in the wrong place at the wrong time when you decide to sabotage or demolish areas to get your point across." Skywarp sneered vehemently back at the golden warrior.

Ratchet had put his hands up to stop the snarling mechs from attacking each other when Prowl's face came over the Teletraan 1 monitor in the med bay. "Ratchet. Trailbreaker is bring a wounded Autobot to you right now."

The grouchy medic glared at the two combatants before turning to acknowledge Prowl, "Tell him I'll meet him in the hall. Who's hurt?"

"Cliffjumper."

Bright blue optics widened in surprise, "You found him?"

"We picked him up on long range scanners. Trailbreaker says he's injured and nearly offline."

"I'll meet him in the hall." Ratchet glared at Sunstreaker and held up a finger. "I don't want to hear a slagging word out of your vocal processor about Cliffjumper. Not. One. Slagging. Word." He headed out the med bay doors, but stopped at the last moment and turned to look at the two mechs. He pointed to a door across the med bay, "Shut that door and keep Rachel occupied so she doesn't see me bringing Cliffjumper into the med bay."

"Sure thing, Ratchet."

With a nod the grouchy medic was gone, leaving the Seeker and the yellow warrior alone. A golden finger was up and in Skywarp's face, "Don't try anything or I'll take you offline in half a nano-klik."

The Seeker snorted, "Don't you forget Ratchet gave you a list of chores."

Azure optics narrowed as Sunstreaker scowled at the mech, staring him down a moment before he walked across the room and closed the door to the bay where the offlined mech lay.

The doors to the med bay burst open with Ratchet frantically trying to calm and shut down the raving mech in Trailbreaker's grasp.

"Rotten slaggin' 'Cons!" Cliffjumper flailed around, one fist swinging wildly and catching the underside of the medic's jaw. "Hurry up and kill me, you dirty frakker!"

"Get him over to the far table. I'll get the restraints." Ratchet dodged past both mechs and over to the table Seeker usually occupied. He gave a quick glance to the others and snarled heatedly as Rachel stared at the rabid Cliffjumper. "I said keep her from seeing him!"

Not quite understanding what was going on, Skywarp picked the femme up in his hands. She looked like she had seen the Unmaker himself, her eyes wide and staring at the opposite side of the room. _Keep her occupied_, that seemed easy enough. He forced her to look at him, bringing her up close to his face and narrowing his optics. "What were the options again, femme? Squish you? Step on you?"

Her eyes snapped up to his in confusion, "What?"

The Seeker's voice took on a falsetto tone as he sneered at her. "_'Oh, please Skywarp. Please squish me. They killed my Autobot friend! Please just kill me. Shoot me, step on me, I'm begging you Skywarp, please kill me!'_"

Her eyes narrowed at him, the flicker of the memory from back when she was held as a prisoner in the Decepticon base lighting her eyes.

He smirked evilly as his idea started to work, "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, femme. But I am going to ask Megatron to let me keep you as a pet. And as long as you behave yourself I'll take good care of you. Oh, and you have to insult 'Screamer again."

Sunstreaker swooped in and tried to pluck Rachel from his grasp, but Skywarp was quicker and dodged his attempt, returning his attention to the femme in his hands. "Except I have to hand you over to Soundwave first because you won't cooperate. Megatron's orders."

Her eyes went wide and she hissed at him. Skywarp couldn't help but grin. He had gotten her attention _and_ a reaction to Megatron letting that slagger Soundwave play with her. The red Autobot across the room was still pitching a fit, but the Seeker kept Rachel's attention on him. "That's good, femme. Get slagged off about Megatron and his simpering sycophant Soundwave. They're planning on killing you, you know. Once you finish making the nano-things Megatron is going to shove you and that dying Autobot out into the ocean. But I'll get him to let me keep you as my pet."

A yellow arm tried to restrain the Seeker, but he batted his attacked away with a sneer, "Quit it, Autofool! I've got her attention focused elsewhere, don't slag it up!"

"It's HER fault that the others are dead! It's all her fault!" The red Autobot was now thrashing and fighting off Ratchet. "I didn't mean it, 'Charger! Why did you have to get in the way!"

Sunstreaker moved to the opposite side of the table, positioning himself between Rachel and the commotion on the other side of the bay. Azure optics glared at the black and purple mech, "All right, Seeker. But if you hurt her…"

Skywarp smirked mischievously. "Hey femme." He pulled her attention back to his optics, "So what's your choice? Squish you or make you a pet?"

Rachel hissed at him, "Go screw yourself, Skywarp."

"Aww femme. You're supposed to insult 'Screamer, not me. And here I thought you liked me. That's why you saved me, wasn't it? Some slag about me being nice? You should know by now that _I'm not nice_. Slag, if you hadn't emptied your fuel tank inside 'Screamer, he would have fought to keep you as a test subject for one of his projects."

A strangled cry across the room signaled Ratchet finally getting the rabid mech into stasis, and Skywarp gave Sunstreaker a triumphant grin. The golden warrior gave the Seeker a disapproving look. Skywarp only laughed, "Like you could have done any better."

Any trace of shock that Rachel had when Sunstreaker had brought her into the med bay was now gone as she growled at Skywarp and smacked his hand, "You're a complete jerk, Skywarp."

He had successfully kept her attention on him and not the red mech or the protective golden one. He felt some satisfaction from that, but the evil look she was giving him now made him feel bad - and he couldn't figure out why. Regardless, he had succeeded and a mischievous grin spread across his faceplate, "You're just now figuring that out, femme?"

Teletraan 1's screen blinked to life with Optimus Prime's visage. "How is Cliffjumper, Ratchet?"

The grouchy medic rubbed the side of his face where the minibot had gotten a lucky shot in while flailing, "He's low on energy. Looks like he's been keeping himself alive using poor quality energon and is delirious from it. I am going to keep him restrained and under constant watch until he's passed the garbage from his systems."

"When will he be up for questioning? I would like to know why he fled after shooting Windcharger and where he has been hiding all this time."

"Not for awhile, Optimus. I want to make sure his systems are completely purged."

"I would like you to keep me updated on his condition, Ratchet."

"Of course."

"I have also reviewed your request and Jazz is being transferred as we speak."

"About time." Ratchet grumbled under his breath, "I'll keep you updated on both of their conditions, Optimus."

"There is one other thing, Ratchet…" The calm Autobot looked perplexed. "We have a guest who is in need of repairs and wishes to speak to me."

The grouchy medic sighed, "And just who is our wounded 'guest'?"

"Starscream."

* * *

I wasn't completely out of it and it was impossible to NOT hear Cliffjumper ranting across the room. But I was surprised to hear the malicious tone from Skywarp. "What?

He smirked evilly at me and mocked me in a snarky falsetto voice. _"'Oh, please Skywarp. Please squish me. They killed my Autobot friend! Please just kill me. Shoot me, step on me, I'm begging you Skywarp, please kill me!'"_

It wasn't that long ago that I begged him to kill me, and the memories of my captivity in the Decepticon base flooded my mind. I had been led to believe that Jazz died in a cell after trying to rescue me, and all I wanted was to follow him in death. I growled at Skywarp for forcing me to remember this, especially since I had just escaped from a military prison.

The snarky Seeker grinned. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you, femme. But I am going to ask Megatron to let me keep you as a pet. And as long as you behave yourself I'll take good care of you. Oh, and you have to insult 'Screamer again."

I glared daggers at him. Why was he acting like this? I had thought that he saw me as a friend. Obviously, I was wrong. Cliffjumper screamed behind me again, but I kept my focus on Skywarp. "Except I have to hand you over to Soundwave first because you won't cooperate. Megatron's orders."

Soundwave. I hissed at him. _The moment your back is turned, Skywarp, I'm going to make sure you don't get up off your table for a long time._

His grin grew, spreading across his faceplate. "That's good, femme. Get slagged off about Megatron and his simpering sycophant Soundwave. They're planning on killing you, you know. Once you finish making the nano-things Megatron is going to shove you and that dying Autobot out into the ocean. But I'll get him to let me keep you as my pet."

Skywarp lost his balance for a moment before snarling over his shoulder. "Quit it, Autofool! I've got her attention focused elsewhere, don't slag it up!"

"It's HER fault that the others are dead! It's all her fault!" I could hear Cliffjumper as he thrashed about. "I didn't mean it, 'Charger! Why did you have to get in the way?"

So that's why the Seeker was acting like this. He was trying to keep me from paying attention to the red minibot across the room. And it had been working, but it was incredibly cruel. I growled at him, "Go screw yourself, Skywarp."

"Aww femme. You're supposed to insult 'Screamer, not me." His blood red optics glittered. "And here I thought you liked me. That's why you saved me, wasn't it? Some slag about me being nice? You should know by now that _I'm not nice_. Slag, if you hadn't emptied your fuel tank inside 'Screamer, he would have fought to keep you as a test subject for one of his projects."

There was a strangled cry behind me, and Ratchet cursed in Cybertronian as he got the minibot in stasis. I didn't turn around, my entire focus was on the snarky faceplate of the mech who sat there and mocked me. He grinned at the golden form behind me and laughed, "Like you could have done any better."

I tried to smack the hand that still held me, "You're a complete jerk, Skywarp."

The mischievous grin spread across his faceplate, "You're just now figuring that out, femme?"

Ratchet was now talking to someone in the background while I glared at Skywarp, but I could make out two specific words: _Jazz _and_ Starscream_. I turned around and looked at the grouchy medic as he sighed. I had been told that Jazz would be here waiting for me, but he still hadn't shown up. I wish I had paid more attention to whom Ratchet was speaking. Was he okay? Did he get into a fight with Starscream? "Where is Jazz?"

Blue optics looked at me and then at the door to the med bay as the doors swung open. Ironhide and Sideswipe entered slowly… with Jazz unconscious and slumped between them. I stared in horror at the three as Ratchet directed them to a table. Jazz's brilliant blue-white spark was slowly oscillating, but there was no damage from what I could tell. "Put me down."

Skywarp's hand didn't move as his attention was on the three Autobots. I smacked his hand to get his attention. "Skywarp! Put me down now!"

Bright red optics looked at me then back at the others, but he slowly lowered me to the tabletop. I cast about looking for the ramp that Wheeljack had built for me to access the tables, but it wasn't nearby. I stood at the edge of the table and looked down at the floor, it was a long drop for someone my size, but Sunstreaker scooped me up and carried me over to Jazz and the others. I wiggled my way out of his grasp and landed on the table, "What happened to him!"

Ratchet was attaching monitors to him and the pumping mechanism used for flushing bad energon from a mech's systems. "Ratchet! What happened to him!"

The grouchy medic didn't look at me as he worked, but he growled in response to my question. "I had to sedate him because he was disobeying orders."

"You had to sedate him?" Ratchet had opened a side panel that gave access to Jazz's systems and I grabbed a handful of the smaller lines and started to attach them to the monitors.

Ratchet sighed heavily as he continued to work. "He kept destroying restraints and breaking out of his cell in the brig."

I gaped wide-eyed at the medic. "The brig? Why was he in the brig!"

There was another long sigh, "He wanted to find you and Optimus gave the order that we were to avoid all contact with the humans."

"And they threw him in the brig for that!"

Ratchet gave me a reproving look. "He was disobeying a direct order, Rachel."

"Did he hurt anyone? Was he a threat to himself or anyone else!"

"No. But as I said, he kept breaking out of the cell and Optimus gave the order that we are not to have any contact with the humans…"

"And you drugged him for that!" I couldn't keep the emotion out of my voice as I glared at Ratchet and moved protectively between him and Jazz. "How could you do that to him? He's not wounded or a danger to himself or anyone else!"

His bright blue optics narrowed at me. "Listen to me, Rachel-"

"Let me guess. You were under orders to so this, right? He was a threat because he wanted to come find me with the entire U.S. military finalizing plans to attack the Autobots? He was a threat to the humans who are trying to destroy you?" I snarled at the entire room in vehemence. "Are you all out of your freaking minds? You drugged and locked up the only mech who might have recovered whatever information they _stole_ from me and destroyed it! He could have discovered the plans for the attack on the Ark and warned you! Because for all we know I gave them detailed instructions on how to build their own Teletraan 1 and the exact specifications for mech anatomy!"

"Rachel, calm down."

"No. You had no right to do this to him!"

The cold and authoritative tone of Ratchet's voice cut my rant short. "That is enough, Rachel."

I scowled at the medic as Red Alert opened the med bay doors for Jetfire. Ratchet returned my glare with a reproachful glower. "We will continue this discussion _later_."

* * *

The red Seeker flew unsteadily next to the Veritech, his body pitching and rolling erratically as Jetfire led Starscream back to the Ark. The Veritech noticed immediately the trails of energon dripping from the wound in the Seeker's wing. Concerned about Starscream's ungraceful flight, Jetfire opened a comlink to him. "Are you okay?"

Starscream's terse response answered his question. "I'm fine."

"We're almost there." _And the moment we land I'm dragging you straight to Ratchet._ Jetfire couldn't help but worry about the wounded flier next to him. The leaking energon streaming off the Seeker's wings looked like falling diamonds as they caught the morning light.

The flight was quiet after that until Jetfire caught sight of the mountain where the Ark lay hidden. He transformed and floated to the ground, graceful as a steel spider's gossamer web floating on the breeze. Starscream on the other hand transformed clumsily, pain from the wound in his wing etched across his face. There were mechs with weapons drawn standing just outside the entrance, all optics on the fliers as they descended. Jetfire touched down first and turned to watch Starscream stumble. A white hand reached out and grabbed the Seeker to steady him.

Starscream hissed at him. "Let go of me!"

"You were about to trip over your own feet. You can swallow your pride for the moment and let me help you to the med bay."

"I don't need your help!"

"And you can't stop me from helping you." Jetfire looked at the armed mechs standing and watching them. "You shouldn't worry about looking weak in front of the Autobots. In the condition that you are in, they're most likely surprised that you're still functioning."

The Seeker scowled, but he knew Jetfire was right. He couldn't fight off the larger mech and was almost glad that the gentle scientist was helping him. Almost. With his best snarl he glared at the Autobot escort as Jetfire led him to their med bay. Starscream berated himself thoroughly – he thought he had repaired his wounds sufficiently for his internal systems to kick in and repair the rest. Obviously he was wrong, especially when he checked his energy levels. "Where is Prime?"

Icy blue optics looked at the smaller flier that he was guiding down the hallway, the worry for the Seeker barely concealed. "He'll be here shortly, Starscream. You're first stop is to see Ratchet."

That red and white Autobot with uncanny ability to locate Decepticons, opened the large doors that led into the med bay. Ratchet, the Autobot medic, glared at him with a scowl that could rival his, "What the slag happened to him? Get him over to the berth where the other one is."

Other one? Starscream followed the bright blue optics across the room and rested on a black and purple mech in his unfinished protoform. "Skywarp?"

The familiar mischievous smirk confirmed that Jetfire had not lied to him. "You look like slag, 'Screamer."

The snarky Air Commander stood there and gaped stupidly at Skywarp, "You- you're alive!"

"Nice of you to notice." Skywarp grinned sarcastically at the red Seeker.

Suddenly Starscream wrenched free from Jetfire's grasp and launched himself across the med bay at Skywarp, tackling him onto the table and perching directly over him like a raptor with its prey. "You're alive!"

Skywarp grabbed the red Seeker's shoulders and shook him while laughing. "Yes, I'm alive, you slaggin' sparkling!"

Starscream's face lit up with excitement and, wait… was he _smiling_? "You're alive! You really are alive!"

Skywarp started giggling, "You've already said that!"

Every single optic in the room was transfixed on the reunited pair. The entire scene was surreal: the notoriously snarky and vicious Air Commander and the cruel and brutal Lieutenant Commander were exuberantly giggling and babbling almost incoherently at each other. Weapons that had been raised when Starscream had jumped, fell limp in the hands of the stunned mechs. Jaws had dropped and more than one processor started to fritz at the open display of affection that no Autobot would have ever _dreamed_ a Seeker was capable of. Yet here they were, the two most feared Decepticon warriors, forehead to forehead, smiling and laughing madly like hyperactive younglings.

Optimus Prime walked into the med bay wondering exactly what Starscream had wanted to ask him about, but stopped in the doorway, shocked at seeing the Air Commander of the Decepticon army sitting on top of his sub commander and laughing loudly. Jetfire reached out and touched his arm, pulling his attention away from the Seekers. The normally quiet and reserved scientist was smiling brightly. He leaned close to the Autobot leader's audio receptor and whispered softly, "Let them have this moment. It's been far too long since they acted like this around anyone."

Optimus nodded, his kindly blue optics shining brightly and his spark lifted to see such sparkling-like happiness. It brought hope to him that peace wasn't a far-fetched fantasy; that maybe under the hatred and pain his people felt, there was a chance for reconciliation.

"You're really alive!"

Skywarp burst into a fresh round of giggles, "Ratchet! I think his CPU is malfunctioning!"

Starscream grabbed Skywarp's head and shook him. "You dirty frakker, if you EVER do that to me again."

The black and purple Seeker smirked and started poking the red Seeker's forehead, "Do what?"

"If you ever disappear on me like that again, I will kill you!"

"Hah! You couldn't even catch me on your best day, slagger!"

"Is that so? I hate to break this to you, 'Warp, but you're missing certain parts of your anatomy for you to boast like that! Where are the rest of your wings, anyways?"

Skywarp stopped his incessant poking and pointed to his right at the mangled mess that was once his wings, "Over there. Where is TC?"

The smile on the red Seeker's face faded, "I don't know. I haven't been able to make contact with him."

Ratchet put a hand on Starscream's shoulder. "I hate to break this little reunion up, but your showering my med bay with energon."

The red Seeker didn't move until Skywarp sat up and actually _hugged_ Starscream. He laughed as he let go of his friend and shook his arms, "You've gotten it all over me too. What happened to you, anyways?"

Almost instantly, Starscream's entire demeanor switched back to his sullen and snarky mood. He turned and glared at the still shocked Autobots spread out across the room as Ratchet started to cauterize the energon lines in his wing. It only took one word from him to send Skywarp's unprecedented jovial mood to the Pit. "Megatron."

The grouchy medic looked up from where he was working, "Megatron shot you?"

Starscream scowled, "Does that surprise you?"

Ratchet was quiet for a moment before he shook his head and went back to work, "After what Skywarp has told me, no, it doesn't surprise me."

The black and purple Seeker looked over at the work Ratchet was doing and grimaced, pointing at Starscream's hands. "You get into a fist fight with Megatron?"

The Air Commander dropped his gaze away from where Ratchet was working on his wing. "You could say that."

Ratchet groused loudly at Starscream, "You obviously tried to repair yourself, but you didn't give your repair system enough time to work. And why the slag didn't you take your pain receptors offline?"

The red Seeker sneered at Ratchet, "I'm not like some weak Autobot who whines with a little scratch."

"Apparently your processors are glitching as well if you think this is just a 'little scratch'." The grouchy medic walked over to his office, disappearing behind the doors before reappearing with two cubes of deep purple energon. He set one on the table and handed the other to Starscream. "Drink."

The red Seeker looked dubiously at the cube until Skywarp started to poke him in the shoulder. "Don't worry, it's the good stuff. Way better than your high-grade rations."

Starscream cautiously took a sip of the viscous liquid. The energon was _good_ and he took a long drink of it, enjoying the almost instant boost it gave his weary systems. He hadn't realized he was this tired, but it was to be expected from his body working overtime trying to repair itself. That and his stunts while flying to release his anger hadn't helped either. The sullen Seeker looked up from the cube as Optimus Prime walked over to him.

Kindly blue optics focused on the Seeker's face and not on his wounds – the Autobot leader learned long ago that showing pity to a warrior like Starscream would end any chance for a peaceful discussion. Optimus was saddened to see the Seekers demeanors change so suddenly just from the mention of the warlord. "You asked to speak with me, Starscream?"

The Air Commander set the cube down and glanced around the room: eight Autobots stood there watching him. Not the best of odds in a battle, but he had seen worse. Except he wasn't here to fight. He had come for two specific reasons, and one of them now stood next to him. He locked optics with Optimus Prime in a heated glare. He had always believed in what he had been told about that day - it was the main reason why he hated the Autobots. But after hearing what Megatron had said he needed to know the truth. So he glared at the Autobot in front of him, daring him to confirm his comfortable belief that it was the Autobots who had destroyed the University. "I did."

Optimus waited for the Seeker to expound on why he had come, but only received the hateful glower. He carefully prompted the twitchy Air Commander, "About?"

Starscream pursed his lips and shot Skywarp a look. The black and purple Seeker seemed just as confused as Optimus was about why he wanted to talk to the Autobots. "I want the truth."

Kindly blue optics widened slightly at the cryptic statement. "I will not lie to you, Starscream, but I need more information as to what you are asking me."

Blood red optics met bright red optics. As painful as he knew this was going to be, and not only for himself, he implored to Skywarp in that silent gaze to listen to what Optimus Prime said carefully. Starscream looked again at the Autobot leader. "I- we, we want the truth about what happened that day."

"Which day, Starscream?"

"The day the Academies were bombed."

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Leave a note for me!

DC Loves Her Reviewers:

I'm happy everyone liked Will and Cujo's response. I tried very hard to think how a soldier who thought they had seen everything would actually react to a 'giant alien robot'.

tomorrow4eva: I'm glad you got a kick out of the 'environmental group'. Wes had to tell them something about the mission and the Autobots are technically trying to save the Earth. And you know Ironhide would so take on two B-2 bombers, and then brag about it later to every audio he could find.

Fire From Above: I thought that's how our favorite snarky Seeker might see himself standing alone on the mountain top waiting for Jetfire and the sun. And I'm slightly surprised that Rachel would still have any patience to deal with other humans, especially pushy military types. She's almost always around the 'bots and her only interactions with others of her kind is with Carly and Spike. Poor Rachel.

Moonpiper: -giggles- Yes, our favorite Army Ranger is going to have a part in the story. I'm glad you liked the nicknames. I remembered from watching 'Top Gun' years and years ago that pilots have call signs, so I made up names that were hopefully not as silly as 'Goose' or 'Iceman'.

Bluebird Soaring: Thank you for your support! You have no idea what it means to me when I vent about a chapter and then seeing a note that it didn't come out as bad as I thought it was going to be.

To everyone else (above mentioned and FORD B, jazztransformsme, Lia Jax, and Elita One) Thank you so much for sticking with me and I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Brief stuff on things I've mentioned:

'The news of my death has been greatly exaggerated' - a quote by Mark Twain.

Blackbird - SR-71 'Blackbird' was a long range, strategic reconnaissance aircraft used by the USAF from 1966 to 1999. It could reach Mach 3.6 and was the first fully operational aircraft designed for stealth. It was the predecessor for the F-117 and F-22 'Raptor'.

Nighthawk - F-117 'Nighthawk' is the Stealth Bomber/ground attack aircraft used by the USAF from 1983 to 2008. It could only reach Mach 0.92, but it holds the record for longest flight of a single-seat fighter: 18.5 hours in a non-stop flight from Holloman AFB to Kuwait. (Author wants to note that when coming home for the weekend while at college she was 'buzzed' by a Stealth that came swooping over Interstate 25 and that it scared the crap out of her)

Sodium Thiopental - (otherwise known as Sodium Pentothol) is one of the drugs classified as a 'truth serum' that is used as a means of interrogation. It is classified as a form of torture by international law. It, and similar drugs, were used by the KGB (now the FSB) the SVR, Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia, (now under scrutiny for using 'truth serums'), the CIA, NSA, FBI and the DoD from the end of World War II to at least 1973. (American) Projects known (due to the Freedom of Information Act of of 1966 and the numerous executive directives up until 1999) to use Sodium Thiopental: CHATTER, BLUEBIRD, ARTICHOKE, MKNAOMI, MKULTRA, and MKDELTA. Whether or not these agencies are under investigation as well is unknown.

'Ghosts' are a reference to STARCRAFT's specialized units that have a 'cloaking' means and can nuke the snot our of you opponents on Battle Net.

'Wraiths' (author's creation - please do not steal) are similar to 'Ghosts'. In my story 'Young Turks', I make reference to Skywarp's creator, Stealthshadow, as a 'retired' Wraith - a type of Special Operations group who were an unsanctioned part of the Cybertronian Security Forces.


	16. Chapter 16 Uneasy Alliance

A/N:_Oh, it's about to get colorful. Rachel and Jazz fluff and an insinuation about waxing. I made up a lot of stuff in here. Truthfully, I never really bought the story on the Autobots and the Decepticons being different races. No one is born or sparked evil. Every sentient being has a choice on how to live their life. And if you read over tech specs for both groups, the Autobots are comprised mostly of scientists and other private sector individuals while the 'cons are mostly warrior types (minus 'Screamer, Soundwave, Shockwave and the Constructicons)._

Synopsis: Optimus Prime tells the story of the Academy bombings from his POV and the realization that this war is all some mechs know about life. There is Jazz and Rachel fluff and Rachel gives Ratchet a piece of her mind. Why are communications between Earth and Cybertron becoming so difficult? And will Starscream stay with Skywarp until his repairs are completed?

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews are given much love!

Story Arc 7

**Chapter 16 – Uneasy Alliance**

Optimus Prime stood in front of Starscream, curious as to why the Seeker wanted to talk to him. It was understandable that he would want to see Skywarp, but for Starscream to _ask_ to speak to him was strange. Then again, it wasn't nearly as strange than the show of affection he just witnessed between the two Seekers. "You asked to speak to me, Starscream?"

The Air Commander glanced around the room at the group of Autobots that were there for various reasons. There was no snarky scowl, no holier-than-thou attitude emanating from him, but Optimus could visibly see the hatred in his optics.

Starscream looked up at him; there was heat in his glare, a non-verbal challenge directed towards him. "I did."

Optimus waited for the red Seeker to continue, but Starscream only glowered at him. Tense moments passed and the calm Autobot leader decided to prompt the Seeker to elaborate. "About?"

The red Seeker was still quiet, but there was obviously some inner turmoil as he pursed his lips. Starscream glanced at Skywarp looking for some support from the black and purple Seeker. Skywarp tilted his head to one side and returned his wingmate's look with confusion. The Air Commander did not turn to look back at Optimus Prime; instead he kept his optics on Skywarp. "I want the truth."

The statement was ambiguous at best. "I will not lie to you, Starscream, but I need more information as to what you are asking me."

Optimus could see the imploring look Starscream gave Skywarp as blood red optics locked with bright red optics. The red Seeker was quiet while he tried to communicate silently with his wingmate. There was an unspoken understanding between the two with Skywarp nodding ever so slightly to Starscream. The Air Commander turned back to look at the Autobot leader. There was no heat in his gaze this time, "I- we, we want the truth about what happened that day."

"Which day, Starscream?"

The med bay was deathly quiet with tension thicker than week old energon. Starscream circled a breath through his intakes, "The day the Academies were bombed."

No one spoke. No one moved as time came to a screeching halt, freezing the occupants of the med bay in place. The tension peaked as the red Seeker's optics dared the Autobot leader to answer his loaded question.

Skywarp was the first to break the silence, "'Screamer…"

Starscream kept his optics firmly on Optimus, his snarky tone of voice was gone and in its place was an unnaturally quiet and low murmur. "We need to hear this, 'Warp."

Optimus nodded to them and moved back to lean against a table. "I will tell you what I know about that day. I am not sure if that will answer your questions," He looked at Ratchet, who leaned on the table next to the Seekers and to Ironhide, who was now standing by his elbow. "But there are others here who could give you more details."

The suspense was still prevalent in the room with the two Seekers standing stiffly in place as if they were rooted to the floor, while the other Autobots shuffled closer to hear what Optimus Prime had to say. "Let me start at the beginning… Back before the General Assembly was disbanded by Megatron, the Autobots were citizens from all over Iacon: scientists, doctors, teachers - people from every walk of life, and they had come together because the Precinct Wardens were struggling to keep Iacon safe. Magistrate General Megatron's military forces were growing throughout the city, but instead of helping keep Iacon safe, the forces were the main contributor to the violence and crime.

"Now the Autobots were trying to keep the streets safe for the city's inhabitants by forming neighborhood watch groups - a safety in numbers philosophy, which helped keep some of the wayward soldiers at bay. But the military forces outnumbered the Autobot citizen patrols and the Precinct Wardens went to Arbiter Ultra Magnus for help in protecting their citizens. He in turn, with the numerous accounts and reports of everything from extortion to murder, came to me hoping that I, as current Prime and Head of the General Assembly, would help the Wardens. I took a look at some of the reports and found that every case that involved any of Megatron's forces went directly to Chief Justice Octane who promptly dismissed them. Upon seeing the blatant abuse of power, I called a special session of the General Assembly to address these issues." Optimus Prime reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "In hindsight, we should have realized something was wrong."

He glanced between the two Seekers. Skywarp's optics were narrow slits and he could feel the hatred radiating from the mech. Starscream, on the other hand, was listening very intently and flexing his damaged hands. "The day of the special session came and Ultra Magnus was supposed to give his report at 0900 jours to the Assembly, but Megatron had personal business to attend to and he said he would return once he had taken care of it. In the interim, Arbiter Shockwave asked for a filibuster and rattled off issues he wanted the Assembly to discuss in the next regular session while we waited for Megatron's return. I called a break at 1400 jours and left the hall to stretch my legs. Ultra Magnus joined me outside, where we were cornered at the Complex gates by Arbiter Blitzwing who wanted to discuss the proposed construction of new roads from Iacon to Kaon. I tried to convince him that we should discuss the issue with the rest of the Assembly when we felt the first explosion. The stationed guards held us back inside the Assembly Complex for our own safety as more explosions rocked the area; the other Arbiters and Judges came pouring outside while we watched the Guardian Fliers and Iacon Rescue Fleet rushing to the Academies…"

Kind blue optics dimmed slightly as Optimus remembered how helpless he felt that day… "All we could do from our position behind the guards was watch the flames and smoke rising into the air… And then Megatron came striding forwards assuring us that his forces were already assisting rescue crews on the scene. The whole Assembly stood there quietly watching the fires for jours until the guards were certain that the Complex wasn't threatened. I said we would reconvene the session the next day in hopes that the Iacon Rescue Fleet had found a cause to the explosions, but by the next morning we had more questions that answers; the Fleet had discovered a number of rudimentary explosive devices throughout the remnants of the Science Academy, the University research labs and the Library.

"In the days after the bombings the Assembly was a mass of accusations and finger pointing. And when things were at their most chaotic, Megatron reported that his forces found definitive proof that the Autobots had made the attack as a show of force so the Assembly would bow to their open threats of rebellion. I tried to respond to his allegations against the Autobot watch groups and the ridiculous notion that the people who live and work in the Wards were behind the bombings or making any threats to the Assembly, but he had already prepared for my counter argument. Megatron brought the Complex guards in and had them testify to the Assembly that Ultra Magnus left the session early and returned right before the bombings occurred. They said that they were under _my_ direct orders to disavow any knowledge of Ultra Magnus' disappearance, but being the honorable and loyal citizens of Iacon that they were, they came forward and told Megatron what had happened. I started to counter his accusations, and he demanded to know why we were at the gates on the day of the bombings. I said we were talking to Arbiter Blitzwing about the proposed roads to Kaon, but Megatron declared that our alibi was a fabrication because Arbiter Blitzwing was discussing the Kaon project with him and Arbiters Shockwave and Astrotrain. He demanded that I relinquish my position as Prime to him and that I was to be taken into custody immediately as an enemy to the state; but the Assembly split on that decision and decided to reconvene on the issue in the morning. The few Judges and Arbiters who were not part of Megatron's inner circle were quickly bought, and by the next morning he had the majority of the Assembly on his side. I, with the remaining few that disagreed with Megatron, had to flee and go into hiding, and once I was no longer Head of the General Assembly, Megatron dissolved Iacon's government structure and established the himself as Cybertron's new ruler."

Optimus looked directly at Starscream, "I believe you know the rest of the story."

Skywarp spat at him, "Of course we know what happened! You think we're going to slaggin' buy that story?! Everyone knows you- We don't have to listen to this frakkin' slag!" The black and purple Seeker raged at the group in front of him, every foul Cybertronian curse flying from his mouth at them as he ranted and raved in fury. "Come on, let's get out of here, 'Screamer!"

Starscream's gaze fell to the floor, his face clouded with mixed emotions. The Autobot leader could easily see the pain and turmoil etched there, but the red Seeker didn't seem surprised by what he had to say. Optimus watched Starscream closely – his damaged fists were closed and shaking, his anger clasped tightly inside his broken knuckles. His blood red optics shone even brighter under the artificial light of the med bay, with the myriad of emotions roiling through the Seeker evident in his expression. When he finally raised his optics, he looked silently across the room to Jetfire.

The Autobot leader followed his gaze to the gentle scientist. He knew a little about the time they worked together back at the University; Jetfire was not forthcoming with much information about that part of their history, but Optimus knew that he still held hope that Starscream would try to reestablish their friendship. He could see the patient understanding in Jetfire's optics and reassurance in the smile he gave the red Seeker, as if he was silently encouraging him to open up and trust what was said.

Starscream met Optimus' gaze again and held it momentarily before turning to Skywarp and laying his hand on his wingmate's shoulder. "'Warp…"

"Let's get out of here."

The snarky scowl spread across Starscream's faceplate and two sparks dropped; Optimus and Jetfire's hope of finding out why Starscream had insisted on finding out what had happened faded quickly as they assumed the two would demand to be shown out of the Ark.

"You have to stay here, 'Warp." No one in the med bay was expecting that answer.

Bright red optics widened as the black and purple Seeker gaped at Starscream, "WHAT? WHY?"

The Air Commander stepped right back into his haughty nature and crossed his arms over his cockpit. "Because I said so, that's why."

"Slag no! I'm not staying here one more astro-second!"

"You _will_ stay here with Prime and the medic and that is _final_, Skywarp."

Skywarp's reaction to the order was to take a swing at Starscream, and the red Seeker easily caught the punch in his broken hand. "Megatron thinks you are dead and Thundercracker has defected. I would like to keep it that way."

"You are seriously malfunctioning if you think I'm going to stay here just because Megatron thinks I'm dead!"

Starscream didn't let go of Skywarp's fist, and his snarky scowl dared Skywarp to try and hit him again. "Megatron told me what happened, 'Warp."

Infuriated bright red optics bore holes through his wingmate, "What do you mean?"

"_I mean_ Megatron told me what happened," Starscream's angry gaze slid over to Optimus. "And his version of events hold some merit to what Megatron said."

"What do you mean? You saw – We all saw what happened!" Skywarp tried to yank his fist free but only managed to lose his balance. Starscream caught him and held on to his wingmate's arm.

"Think back, 'Warp. When he came to the Academy to recruit us Soundwave was with him. They **knew** that we wouldn't join without TC…"

Bright red optics narrowed, "No." The black and purple Seeker shook his head, "No, no, he –"

"…he had Soundwave scan us, 'Warp. They knew -"

"That slagger read our minds?" Heated _azure_ optics glared at the two Seekers.

Dirty looks suddenly crossed the room between the two Seekers and the Lamborghinis. "Megatron had that freak scan our minds when he tried to recruit us?"

Starscream's optics narrowed_. __I was told that the War Academy had _five_ warriors that would be perfect for the Decepticons and I went to investigate the claims that they were the best of the best._ He nodded slowly as he remembered what Megatron had said to him. His scowl spread as he glared at the enraged Twins, "He had Soundwave search you for any weaknesses. Where were you during the first explosions?"

Sunstreaker crossed his arms over his chest plate, "I was at the firing range and 'Sides was at the Library. Why?"

Skywarp's optics widened and Starscream glanced at him, "Believe me now?"

Optimus Prime watched the four intently; the fact that they might have been at the Academies on that black day had never crossed his mind. Younglings thrust into the war were forced to grow up quickly for survival, robbing countless youth of their innocence. He knew Bluestreak and Bumblebee were young; Bluestreak had been found by Prowl curled up next to his dead mother-creator, while he had found Bumblebee hiding under a collapsed wall. He looked at the Twins – powerful warriors, dedicated to the Autobots, brash to the point of recklessness… It made some sense now why they enjoyed pulling pranks; the war had not completely destroyed their need to have fun… yet.

The Seekers on the other hand… Optimus had believed they were sparkless-killing machines, dedicated solely to the Decepticons and Megatron and the eradication of the Autobots. But watching Skywarp's reaction just to the warlord's name… To witness two of the deadliest mechs smiling and laughing one minute, and then bitter and hateful the next… They were thrown into this war, molded and twisted into what Megatron wanted in warriors. And this was exactly what Optimus was fighting for - the safety and freedom for all his people. A free Cybertron where people could live in peace. Where there weren't mass graves. Where cities weren't looted and destroyed just to demoralize the inhabitants. Where younglings weren't thrust into the role of soldiers…

Optimus Prime looked at the four in front of him, hatred flowing off of them in thick waves. They should be out enjoying life, living it to its fullest - not fighting in a war. He gathered his thoughts while he watched them, the protective nature in his spark renewing his need to bring Megatron to justice and end this war. "There is obviously much more to this story and I would like to hear it if you wish to elaborate, Starscream."

Blood red optics glanced up at Optimus, "Megatron targeted things that were important to us. _To get our priorities straight_, as he put it. He used Soundwave to scan us, then he used '_a touch of persuasion'_ to get what he wanted. His plan was to destroy what meant the most to us and blame the Autobots, so we would feel the need to join him for revenge. Obviously," He lifted his finger to point at Sideswipe. "He was trying to destroy that one."

"Wait," Optimus Prime glanced between Starscream and Sideswipe. "Megatron destroyed the Library because Sideswipe was there?"

Starscream's optics slid to the Autobot leader, "The entire complex wasn't destroyed just for _him_. There were… others. Megatron," The Seeker spat the warlord's name like a vile curse. "Said the day after the bombings was the Decepticons best recruiting day."

Skywarp's gaze dropped to his arm where Starscream still held him and growled, "That dirty slagger went after TC! He blew up the Library because he knew -"

"Yes, he did." The red Seeker cut his wingmate off abruptly. "Just to push him past the breaking point so he wouldn't hesitate to join in the fight. Which is why I'll need your help to find TC and tell him, 'Warp. Do you understand now why I need you to stay here and let the medic finish your repairs before we return to Cybertron?" Starscream glanced around the room, distrust emanating from his optics. He didn't like the idea of leaving his friend here alone, but it seemed like they were taking good care of him; he wasn't strapped down to a table, or in a cell, and he was comfortable enough to call the medic by his name. He looked at the table next to them where the two energon cubes sat; if that was the quality of the Autobot rations, Skywarp was being treated better than they ever were as Megatron's officers. Somewhat satisfied that his wingmate would be safe even with all the Autobots, he turned his attention to Optimus, "You will continue to repair him, correct?"

Kindly blue optics smiled at the two mechs, "Of course. And you are welcome to stay here with him as well, if you wish to, Starscream."

There were some groans behind him. Optimus turned his head slightly, "And every Autobot will show our guests the utmost respect."

There were a handful of grumbling 'yessirs' and Optimus turned around to look at Starscream. "I can have a room made ready for you, if you wish to stay."

The red Seeker glanced around the room again noticing all of the annoyed glares he was receiving. He crossed his arms over his cockpit, "I'll think about it."

* * *

The reunion between Skywarp and Starscream was, for lack of another word, 'cute'. I suspected that the Seekers were friends from what little Skywarp had mentioned about the others, but I never would have guessed the bond between them was that close. And I wondered if I had assumed that they were inherently bad just because they were Decepticons, because 'bad guys' don't have friendships like that, do they? Can you really trust another being that much if everything about you was 'bad'?

Yet as I listened intently to the exchange in the med bay between everyone, I started to wonder about the motives of the entire war. Just from listening to what Optimus said, it was obvious that Megatron wanted absolute power over everything, and it wasn't above him to use the most vile and underhanded tactics to get that power. The Autobots, on the other hand, just wanted to live free of fear and lead normal lives. Optimus' personal motto made all the more sense now: _Freedom is the right of all sentient beings_. I thought it was a noble proverb to live by, but it wasn't just a motto - it was a way of life: a dream that Optimus and the Autobots held on to tightly. They fought this war for not only themselves, but also everyone who was being oppressed. And after hearing how the Autobots were formed, it truly hit home why they just wanted their peaceful lives back.

And what about the motivations of the Seekers in all of this? The answers were cryptic at best. I could see the vicious machinations that Megatron used to further his plans for take over; the destruction of one important area in Iacon that drove the populace apart and forced the city to take sides… but also to actively target Sunny and 'Sides and the Seekers. How do you fight against that? Megatron knew exactly what he was doing and he won on all fronts of his vile scheme – He split the city in half, recruited who knows how many people to the Decepticon cause, added three of the best warriors to his ranks AND became supreme ruler of Cybertron all in… what did Starscream call it? _A touch of persuasion_?

I snuggled into the warm metal of Jazz's chest seeking comfort and whispered to him, "What do you think about all of this?"

"Which part? Starscream and Skywarp? Out of all the strange things I've seen, that has t' be one of the strangest. What Megatron did? I knew about that. They weren't the only ones he recruited that way."

"Did he try that with you?" I pressed closer to him. I could feel the need to protect him rising inside of me - I would take on the universe just for him.

"Naw, but I had some friends who he got wit' the bombin'. He succeeded t' win them over t' the 'Cons."

"I'm so sorry, Jazz." I ran my hand over his side to comfort him and hugged him. "That must be awful for you to see them on the battlefield."

"I've crossed only one in a fight, no idea what happened t' the others."

I tried to send as much comfort as I could to him in the hug, "I'm so sorry."

"Not y're fault, Rach. It happens in a war."

I pressed my lips against his armor, "How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough t' hear y' give the Hatchet an audio full."

I smiled and snuggled closer to him, "And I bet you enjoyed every minute of that."

"I'm still replayin' it jus' t' see my girl stand up for me."

I covered up a snort by pretending to rub my nose, "I heard you sent poor Red into a conniption fit about his cameras and handcuffed Prowl to Ironhide."

His body shook slightly as he tried to stifle a laugh, "Word travels fast."

"Sunny and 'Sides have a new found respect for you."

"As well they should."

It was my turn to stifle a laugh. "I wonder if we can blackmail Starscream with the video of him and Skywarp acting like that?"

"We could try, but what would we want from him?"

My body shook from attempting to hide a giggle. "Force him to get a new vocal processor?"

He shifted ever so slightly and I could hear his systems hiccup, "If y' keep makin' me laugh, they'll know we're not really asleep."

"Sorry," I took a deep breath. "You know how much I missed you?"

"How much?"

I smiled and nuzzled him, "Enough that if we weren't pretending to be asleep, I'd kiss you again."

"That would be worth wakin' up for."

"I'd rather not move just yet. Being able to hear your spark beat again is reassuring me that I'm really here with you and not back in that cell or on the plane." He shifted his arm and I snuggled closer to him. "Wait until you meet the guys who rescued me."

"I've read the report."

"There is a report on it already?"

"Yep. Prowl doesn't belief in leavin' things for later. He's takin' them on a tour of the Ark right now."

"All the better to pretend to be asleep. They're an odd group, and I have a few choice words to say to Prowl. I really can't yell at Optimus because he gave the order, but it's open season on Prowl." I sighed. "I want it all to go away and pretend that the world around us doesn't exist at all."

"Y're wish is my command, Rach."

"You don't mind if I fall asleep on you?"

"Y' belong by my side, be it asleep or awake." I could hear his disarming smile in his voice even though I couldn't see it.

"Even if I drool?"

His body shook again, "Y' sure know how t' charm me."

"I try." I grinned, keeping my eyes shut. "I love you, Jazz."

"I love y' t', Rach. Hush now, Ratchet is headin' this way."

I pretended to rub my nose in my 'sleep', "Wake me up in a few hours and sock Ratchet if he tries to move me."

"Will do."

* * *

The little metal condor landed and started to upload the information he had gathered, cawing softly when a familiar blue hand stroked his head fondly. "Data retrieval: successful."

Megatron stood in front of the monitor with his arms crossed over his chest plate. "Well done, Laserbeak. Let's see what that rotten glitch is planning this time."

The main screen flickered to life and the data feed started to play the conversation between the two mechs silhouetted by the sun.

"_You wanted to know why we were interested in the artifacts?" _Starscream handed something over to the Veritech.

"'_The Last Seeker: The Final Dialogues With Seeker Storm Flight'? You're searching for the lost history of the Seekers?"_

Starscream nodded,_ "And the technology they had discovered. While we were collecting the pollen samples on Aghartha in the Fryaite System, I found one of the artifacts with detailed instructions about mass displacement. And that planet Nerina, with the sulfur based life forms? I found the artifact with designs for energy-based weapons. They weren't Cybertronian inventions as we had been taught. It was alien technology that the Seekers found. A lot of the technology that we take for granted comes from the artifacts that the original Seekers had recovered. According to that text there are more artifacts out there-"_

"So, that's what was on the encrypted data pad," The warlord rubbed his hands at the thought of gathering new technology. "Soundwave! Retrieve that data pad that Ravage recovered!"

"Yes, Lord Megatron." The large dark blue mech turned on his heel and exited the control room.

"Starscream, you idiot. Did you really assume that I would not find out about this little venture of yours?"

_"...and the one here on Earth."_

"_Allsparks? There is more than one?" _

Megatron's attention snapped back to the monitor. "An Allspark? On this fleshling-infested planet?" He leaned in closer to the monitor and gleaned every bit of information from the data file.

The doors to the control room slid open as Soundwave returned with the container, setting it down on the console and opening it. Megatron grabbed the data pad and inserted into the console's main data driver. "We need to decipher this text!"

The Communications officer entered cipher keys into the system and the computer activated the data pad and immediately started to download the information on it. Megatron watched eagerly as the computer read the information off the pad and displayed it on the main monitor. "Do you know what this means, Soundwave? Once we gather this technology and this mud ball planet's Allspark, we can revitalize Cybertron and from there the entire universe will be ours for the taking!"

The upload stopped abruptly as a prerecorded message started to play with Starscream's smirking countenance appearing on the monitor. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice your sycophant toady's minions stealing from us, Megatron? My, my, your processors need to be updated, _oh high and mighty Megatron_." There was an evil glint to Starscream's optics, "As slow and feeble as you are becoming, it looks like the Decepticons need a new leader. A _younger_ and _smarter_ leader. Your days are numbered, Megatron." The data feed turned to static and shut down.

The resounding roar that echoed through Nemesis sent mechs scurrying for cover.

"SOUNDWAVE! FIND THAT TRAITOROUS GLITCH AND BRING HIS HEAD TO ME ON A TITANIUM PLATTER!"

Soundwave ducked his head, "As you command, Lord Megatron."

* * *

"Jetfire to Optimus."

Jetfire's voice came over the communications channel while Optimus Prime, Prowl, Wes Granger and Starscream watched Teletraan 1's main screen. Nemesis's flight deck slowly disappeared beneath the ocean's surface; the still smoldering remains of human military jets and battleships rising and falling in the wake of the shining spire.

"Optimus here. Anything to report, Jetfire?"

"Nothing is left." The sad tone in Jetfire's voice betrayed how he felt by the huge loss of life. "The Decepticons left no one alive."

"Goddamnit." The ex-Secretary of Defense just shook his head. He looked up at Optimus. "I doubt that will stop them from attacking here."

Starscream regarded the human with suspicion. "Did you really believe that the humans stood any chance against Megatron?"

Wes wasn't one to be threatened by the presence of Starscream; he'd been around too long and witnessed too many battles among his own kind to see where faction lines blurred. War was war. You had enemies and you had allies - and depending on the situation, your allies became enemies and vice versa. "Regardless of what you think about humans, we don't roll over and give up just because the odds aren't in our favor. We don't make the smartest decisions at times." He pointed to the giant screen. "A handful of ships and a couple of sorties of fighters against a force as big as the Decepticons was not one of our shining moments and was a waste of life."

Prowl accessed the multiple Sky spy satellites. "Head back to the Ark, Jetfire. Countdown for take-off has already started."

"Acknowledged. Jetfire out."

"We will have a seven minute window after Jetfire lands and the next tracking satellite passes over us in which to take off and leave Earth's atmosphere, Optimus."

"Let Ratchet know." The Autobot leader turned to look at the red Seeker. "Have you decided yet, Starscream?"

The Decepticon Air Commander crossed his arms over his cockpit, pursing his lips but not meeting Optimus Prime's optics. "I wish to stay with Skywarp."

Kindly blue optics smiled at Starscream. "I was hoping you would say that."

* * *

Megatron stalked across the control room and shooting a glare at the back of his Communications Officer's head with every pass he made. "Have you found him yet?!"

Soundwave cringed and hoped that the impatient warlord wouldn't take his frustration out on him. "Negative: planetary scans unable to detect his transmitter."

Two black fists slammed into the control panel next to him, and the dark blue mech flinched as Megatron took his frustration out on the computer. "Contact Shockwave and find out if that glitch ran home with his tail between his legs."

"As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave's fingers flew over the keyboard as he established a radio transmission to Cybertron. "Nemesis calling Shockwave. Respond."

The screen crackled to life in a wave of snow and static, "Sho -brrzzz -Neme -brrzzz -hail -brrzzz -Megat -brrzzz."

Megatron smacked the console and growled in frustration, "Can't you clean up the connection?!"

"Attempting to compensate."

The warlord was too impatient to wait. "Shockwave! Report!"

The golden optic of the dark purple mech fizzled in and out of focus on the giant screen as Soundwave tried to clean up the transmission. "Megatron -brrzzz -unkno -brrzzz -power sour -brrzzz -detected -brrzzz -all -brrzzz -communi -brrzzz -affect -brrzzz -unable to locat -brrzzz -source -brrzzz."

He leaned into the screen as if getting closer to it would help him hear what Shockwave was saying. "That can wait. I want to know if that traitor Starscream came through the Space Bridge."

"Starscream? -brrzzz -not come thro -brrzzz -pace Bridge -brrzzz -gatron." The dim connection deteriorated rapidly.

"Can't you do something about this, Soundwave?!"

"Unknown power surges are dampening communications from Cybertron. Unable to hold connection."

The black fist smashed through the console. "Try hailing that glitch Starscream again!"

The transmission to the Seeker was accepted and an annoyed Starscream came into view. "What do you want, Megatron?"

The control room's temperature dropped by several degrees. "Where are you and why has your transmitter stopped responding?"

The red Seeker looked completely bored, "Because I turned it off and where I am is none of your concern, Megatron."

"You're at the Autobot base, aren't you?!"

Starscream sniffed disdainfully, "Yes, I am. You caught me red handed, oh mighty Megatron. I am in the process of spilling all of your dark little secrets to Prime right now. Would you like to say hello to him?"

The console beneath Megatron's hands warped under the pressure of his anger. "Do not toy with me, Starscream. Return to base at once."

"Later."

Icy silence filled the control room.

"...Excuse me?"

A martyred sigh escaped from Starscream. "I am busy, Megatron. I will return when I am NOT busy."

The transmission cut abruptly and the warlord ripped the nearly destroyed console free from the computer. "Find him. I don't care how you do it. FIND HIM NOW!"

* * *

"Mrrrr…" I reached out half-asleep and feebly tried to grab at Jazz's retreating arm. "I didn't give you permission to move…"

"Sorry, Rach. But we're bein' evicted."

I sighed and curled up, shivering now that the comforting warmth of Jazz's body was gone, "Tell Ratchet-"

"Tell Ratchet what?" The grouchy medic's voice rang in my ears.

I scowled and rolled over. "…"

"I'm waiting, young lady." His tapping foot on the titanium floors felt like it was shaking the entire room. He obviously hadn't forgotten our yelling match from earlier. "Tell Ratchet what?"

"Pillows."

The tapping stopped. "Pillows?"

I stretched with a big yawn, blearily opening my eyes just enough to crawl into Jazz's warm and inviting arms. "Pillows. And big, fluffy oversized comforters."

"Pillows?"

_Did I stutter?_ I only just barely caught myself from saying that out loud. Barely. I am sooooo not a morning person. "Yes, pillows. These tables are the most uncomfortable things ever built."

"I'm sorry my med bay isn't up to your standards, your Highness. If you went to your own room to recharge you wouldn't need to worry about uncomfortable berths."

Ratchet's tone of voice made me open one eye and glare at him. "And maybe if you recharged on something other than your uncomfortable berth you'd be more pleasant to deal with."

There was a loud 'snerk' from Skywarp across the room and I could feel Jazz trying to stifle a giggle. Ratchet's finger raised and he opened his mouth to lecture me… And I waved him off, shutting my eyes and curling up tightly in Jazz's arms.

There was a dangerous icy edge to his voice. "I'm getting tired of your slag, Rachel. This is the second time today I've had to-"

"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings." I waved him off again. I knew I was going to get it later… But in for a penny, in for a pound.

"Yes, Rachel. But that does not-"

I sat up in Jazz's arms and gave him my best glare. "_'I will practice my profession with conscience and dignity. The health of my patient will be my first consideration. I will maintain the utmost respect for all life,'_" I raised my finger and jabbed it at Ratchet, emphasizing every single word. "**'**_**And I will not use my medical knowledge to violate a person's rights and civil liberties, even under threat**_**.**'"

"You're REALLY pushing it, femme." I smirked as Ratchet referred to me by my gender.

"Hippocratic oath. Go look it up, _Hatchet_."

"Why you little-"

"As CMO, your word out rules everyone's, including Optimus. You had no right to drug Jazz and let Prowl leave him in the damned brig!" I was wide awake now and yelling at him for all I was worth.

"You are being over emotional about this, and until you calm yourself down this discussion is _over_, Rachel."

"It's okay, Rach, really." Jazz tried to carefully intervene in our shouting match. "She's had a rough few days and she's still tired, Doc. We'll jus' be leavin' now, and let y' get back t' y're work."

"Good, because she's not allowed back in here unless she can calm down about this." Ratchet turned around and walked towards a snickering Skywarp.

I snarled at his back, "That's fine by me. I don't want to work for a MONSTER that thinks it's okay to drug someone as a means to subdue them!!"

Ratchet spun around so fast that I thought he was going to lose his balance, but I didn't stop my fiery tirade. "Did you help Prowl in the interrogations as well? I bet you got Jazz to spill all sorts of juicy information while under your oh-so-delicate care! It's not like it's his job is to know everything that is going on! Oh Wait! It IS his job! So did you hear anything useful while you stood by and watch Prowl dump Jazz in the brig?!"

"ENOUGH!" He roared loud enough to make the walls shake and jabbed one finger towards the door. "OUT! NOW!"

"Sure thing, Doc!" Jazz sidled around the tables as Ratchet and I glared bloodthirsty daggers at each other.

The doors shut quickly behind us and Jazz made his way straight to his room, "I think y' pushed y're luck a little too far there, Rach."

I rubbed my forehead absently as a dull throb behind my eyes washed over me. "He deserves a swift kick in his skid plate."

"Rach…"

"He had no right to do that to you, Jazz. None of them did. It's considered 'cruel and unusual punishment' here on Earth. Granted I don't know much about Cybertronian laws, but it IS wrong."

He grinned and cuddled me tightly in his warm arms, "I never thought my shy Rachel would turn into such a rebel."

I rubbed my aching temples, yelling at Ratchet had taken much more out of me than I expected. "I'm not a rebel, Jazz. I'm not much of a fighter either, but I'll do whatever it takes to protect you."

* * *

For the thirtieth time in under a breem, the twitchy red Seeker circled the med bay, stalking and staring the three other mechs in the room. At first, Ratchet believed his incessant movement was because of his distrust of the Autobots. But it became clear with his next pass that his need for movement was more than that.

Starscream stopped in front of the table where Ratchet had placed the day's stack of data pads that he needed to read through. Nothing of vital importance - the weekly and monthly inventory lists, the upcoming maintenance schedule that he still needed to fill out, the latest medical updates from Cybertron, the requisition forms to acquire more paint...

Starscream stared intently at the data pads; his fingers, now repaired and splinted to keep him from doing any more damage to them, _twitched_.

Ratchet curiously watched the Seeker out of the corner of his optic. _Just what was that slagger up to now? _

His answer came quickly.

It started with the stacks of data pads. Starscream carefully aligned each stack in the exact center of the table in absolute perfect 90° angles to each corner. He fussed with their alignment momentarily, judging with his optics if they were indeed perfect. Then he pulled his hands away slowly, careful not to touch the perfect stacks or jostle the table.

Ratchet shook his head and grinned. _So the kid's bored and messing with the data pads. No harm in that_. He went back to rethreading the fine sensor relays in the newest piece of Skywarp's leg that Wheeljack had just completed, and promptly forgot that Starscream was even in the room.

There was the tiniest noise from where Starscream was, and Ratchet looked over to see what the Seeker was doing. Now the data pads were in smaller stacks across the table and he was realigning them in their perfect 90° places all over again. Okay, Starscream is _really_ bored of being stuck in the med bay. _He probably doesn't feel comfortable enough to even speak to Skywarp with them around_. But Skywarp didn't seem to care what his wingmate was doing. In fact, he was completely ignoring Starscream and his need to play with the data pads. Ratchet split his attention between his work and the twitchy Seeker; but his curiosity about Starscream won the battle over the need to finish the delicate work.

Starscream eyed the data pads again; he picked each of them up and flicking them on, scanning over all the contents, and then reorganizing them on the table.

The twitchy Air Commander had an obsessive-compulsive streak. Ratchet could name a few 'bots on the Ark who fell into that category. He kept his gaze on Starscream and started to wonder if the Seeker also had trouble recharging until he was 'finished' working. He frowned as he realized Starscream also participated in more battles than the Ark's top two OCD mechs combined. _No wonder the kid seemed so much older than he was_, Ratchet scowled as he watched the Seeker reorganize the data pads again. _He's got to work as the Second in Command, he's expected to fight on the front lines, make battle plans, put up with Megatron neuroses, and he's got to dodge that slagger's wrath. That's why he's twitchy all the time. _

Ratchet looked back at the Seeker he was supposed to be working on. Skywarp had mellowed considerably after Starscream showed up. If Starscream had this much effect on the mouthy one… Primus. Ratchet could barely imagine the effect on being reunited with Skywarp had on the red Seeker.

He was drawn back out of his thoughts as Starscream started to circle the med bay again - and Skywarp still didn't react to his wingmate's need for movement. The Seeker found something else to focus on: the shelving unit that held the equipment used in emergencies. Starscream's head tilted to one side as if measuring up the situation, and then he started to align each piece in a perfect degree and spaced perfectly even on the shelves. Normally Ratchet would have yelled at any mech, besides Wheeljack or Perceptor, for messing around in his med bay, but having something innocuous as tidying up to keep Starscream busy instead of circling them like a predator couldn't hurt. At least he was productive with his obsessive-compulsiveness and not constantly scanning for perceived threats and rechecking cameras… or spending countless jours awake assessing and reassessing battle plans and situations.

Once the surrounding area had been 'organized', Starscream had cautiously made his way over to where they were working on Skywarp. He eyed the tray of tools they were using and tentatively reached out and straightened one of them. "Why are his repairs unfinished?" Starscream pulled his hands back and crossed his arms over his cockpit.

Wheeljack pulled the welding iron back and looked over his work with a critical optic. "Because we haven't found any mention of Seeker physiology in the Teletraan 1's database or in the Science Academy's archives, which is why we are rebuilding his protoform."

Starscream snorted loudly, reaching out and threatening to smack Skywarp upside his head. "You didn't tell them?"

The black and purple Seeker shrugged sheepishly. "What were they going to do? Reattach those," he motioned with his head to the table that held the remains of his wings. "To me?"

Ratchet looked up at the two expectantly, "Tell us what?"

The red Seeker huffed as he unfolded his arms and brought out the rather large chunk of a black and purple wing from his subspace and held it out for Skywarp to take. "You wouldn't find any mention of Seeker physiology in any data base."

Ratchet looked at the polished piece of Skywarp's wing and wondered why Starscream had that inside his subspace, "Why is that?"

"Because a 'Seeker' isn't an enhanced Guardian Flier." Skywarp carefully took his wing from Starscream's hands and the red Seeker continued. "A 'Seeker' is the best Cybertron has to offer. It's the title given to the best of the best, and not just warriors."

Skywarp turned the piece of his wing over in his hands; Starscream had obviously cleaned and polished it because there was no dirt or caked on energon like the other pieces of his wings had. Other than the facts that one end was ragged and it wasn't attached to his body anymore, the wing looked like it did when the three of them received their first Guardian Flier's alternate form. "… You saved a piece of my wing?"

Starscream turned to the side with an unreadable look on his faceplates. "I thought you might need it…"

"But you didn't know I was here…" Skywarp's optics widened as he realized what Starscream had meant to do with his wing. "You were going to-"

"Yes. So what?" The red Seeker snapped at him, suddenly embarrassed.

Ratchet smirked as he went back to work on the threading of the sensor relays.

"What is your problem, Autobot?"

Ratchet shared an amused look with Wheeljack that Skywarp couldn't help but catch. All three grinned and Ratchet shook his head, "Nothing."

"Hmmph." Starscream's wings hitched up in annoyance and he crossed his arms over his cockpit again.

The med bay was quiet again for a while with the only noise coming from Ratchet and Wheeljack as they worked; Skywarp sat very still for them but grinned like a sparkling at his ruffled wingmate. The red Seeker managed to stay put for almost a breem, but his twitchy nature took over and he tapped his splinted fingers on his arm.

The clicking of his fingers started to get on Ratchet's nerves, "Why don't you sit down and let your repair systems work on your knuckles?"

"They're fine."

Ratchet turned and glared at him, "Go sit down."

"I said _they are fine_."

"And I said 'go sit down'."

He stopped tapping his fingers, but the twitchy Seeker didn't move.

The med bay was quiet again for all of five minutes until the Seeker snarled, "Argh! I can't take this!" Starscream reached over the surprised mechs and opened a panel in Skywarp's side roughly, his fingers quickly scanning over his circuits before finding what he was looking for and yanking it free.

Ratchet rounded on Starscream immediately, intent on stopping the red Seeker from damaging Skywarp any further only to have the spanner he had been using plucked neatly from his grasp. "What the slag do you think you're doing?!"

"Ow! You dirty frakker!" Skywarp clutched at his side and glowered at Starscream. "You could have asked first!"

Starscream ignored both of them, his attentions now on the component in his hand. He looked it over with a scowl before picking up a few of the tools from the tray that Wheeljack and Ratchet had been using and stepping over to the next table.

The grouchy medic grabbed the Seeker by his shoulder, and was brushed off as Starscream headed across the room for one of the bins he had 'organized' earlier. "Go finish with his sensor relays."

Ratchet growled intent on showing the Seeker exactly who the med bay belonged to, until Skywarp laid his hand on his shoulder, "It's okay, Ratchet." He looked over at Starscream and grinned, dropping his voice a few octaves and tapping his audio receptor. "He wants our com-system working so he isn't alone."

The grouchy medic glared Skywarp before opening his side panel and examining him for any damage. "If he slagged up anything, I'm booting his aft out of here."

Skywarp snickered as Starscream walked back to the table, his full attention now on the unconventional internal radio. Wheeljack's interest was instantly piqued and he looked over the Seeker's shoulder. "I've never seen an internal communications system like that before."

"You wouldn't." Starscream pulled a few charred wires free from their casing. "I designed these myself."

Skywarp cackled and earned himself a glare from Ratchet. The Seeker was unfazed as he grinned at the grouchy medic. "Nerdy 'Screamer did more than just design the com-systems."

The red Seeker inspected the component in his grasp, "Hmmph. You're the one who wanted them, 'Warp."

--

_The black youngling barreled down the street with a box tucked under his arm. He skidded to a stop in front of the other two and shoved the box into the red youngling's lap. "I've got everything we need!"_

_Starscream stared at the box for a moment, puzzled as to what Skywarp meant. "For what?"_

_The black mech huffed in annoyance and sat down next to him. "The radios! You said you were going to make them!"_

_Starscream looked up at him and shook his head. "Noooo. I did not say I was going to make them. You _volunteered_ me to make them."_

"_Eh, technicalities." The black youngling shrugged as he reached over and opened the box. "I got everything you would need to make them."_

_The red mech looked inside the box at the myriad of springs, grease covered gears, stripped bolts, different lengths of wire and other bits of strange kibble. "I don't think this stuff will make a radio, 'Warp."_

_Thundercracker peered into the box as well. "It's just a box of old junk."_

_Skywarp's face fell. "But 'Screamer is smart… he can do it. Can't you, 'Screamer?"_

_The youngling pulled a cog with missing teeth from the box. "I, uh…"_

"_I know you can do it, 'Screamer." The black mech urged his friend._

"_Where did you get all of this anyway, 'Warp?" The blue mech pulled out a lopsided spring and eyed it strangely._

"_My father-creator's closet. He thinks I can't get in, but I can. He keeps all sorts of things in there, like his weapons from the war and those data pads he's always reading."_

_Thundercracker nearly jumped off the stoop, his purple optics wide in alarm. "You didn't bring any of his weapons, did you?"_

"_Pfft. No. Most of them are bigger than I am… but the cluster grenades, I brought some of those. I thought 'Screamer could use some of them for the radios."_

_The blue youngling fell off the steps this time and back-peddled across the sidewalk trying to put as much distance between him and the box._

_Skywarp started to grin evilly. "What's wrong, TC? You look like you're about to purge your fuel tank." He reached into the box and started to rummage through it. "Here. I brought a lot of them, we can play catch while 'Screamer is working."_

_Starscream carefully set the box to his side and scooted away, his own optics as wide as Thundercracker's. He knew from reading the medical texts that explosive devices like grenades were ninety-five percent lethal to mechanoids._

"_Aha! Found one!" Skywarp pulled his hand out of the box quickly as the other two tried to get up and run away. Thundercracker was hit in the shoulder with a large greasy bolt and a piston ring smacked Starscream's arm. Both younglings yelped and Skywarp flopped heavily down on the stoop his small arms wrapped around his midriff, his body nearly convulsing from the laughter. "Hahaha! I got you two glitch-mice good!"_

_Two sets of angry purple optics turned to glare at the laughing black youngling. Small hands dipped into the box of junk, pulling out impromptu missiles and pelting Skywarp with them. Yet he still rolled on the ground laughing even with the greasy junk raining down on his body. In a matter of nano-seconds the stoop was covered with the kibble and the black youngling was trying to rein in his laughing fit. _

_Thundercracker sat back down on the stoop, glaring at Skywarp. "That wasn't funny, 'Warp."_

"_You're right, that wasn't funny," The offending mech tried to stifle another round of giggles. "It was fraggin' hilarious!"_

_Starscream pushed the box at his friend. "'Warp. I don't know how to make a comlink system and even if I did I don't think any of this stuff can be used for it."_

_The black youngling started to pick up the greasy kibble. "So what do you need to make them?"_

_A loud martyred sigh came from the red mech. "I. Don't. Know. How many times to I have to say it, 'Warp? I don't know how to make them."_

_Skywarp cocked his head to the side. "But you know a lot about computers and how stuff works, why don't you just make the comlinks from what you already know?"_

"_Because I -" _

_The red youngling looked to the blue mech who only shook his head. "Don't look at me. He's dead set on this and you know once he gets an idea he won't stop pestering us about it."_

"_I know you can do it, 'Screamer."_

_The red youngling put his head into his greasy hands and shuttered his optics. He stayed like that for a few minutes until a worried TC gently shook his shoulder. "You okay, 'Screamer?"_

_Starscream nodded, his optics coming back online, "Hand me that data pad."_

_In under a jour and with data pad in hand, the three stood in front of the locked door to the forbidden closet. _

"_I don't think this is a good idea, 'Warp. You said he keeps weapons in here and you're not supposed to go in there and what if he comes home? I don't want him to call my mother-creator and get in trouble." Thundercracker looked nervously between the two mechs._

"_Don't be a glitch-mouse, TC. Besides he never goes in here unless he's getting more of those holopads with the pictures of the femmes. He won't even know that anything is gone." Skywarp procured a flat-head spanner and started to jimmy the lock. _

_There was a loud click and the forbidden door swung open revealing its treasures to the three sparklings. It was a small room more than a closet, with most of the walls covered with different weapons ranging from simple guns to exotic blades. Thundercracker stepped away from the door, his conscious now telling him this wasn't just a bad idea: this was a dangerous idea. "I don't think…"_

"_Whatever, TC. You want to be a robo-chicken, fine. But we're going to get stuff for the comlinks, right 'Screamer?" Skywarp grabbed the red mech's arm and dragged him inside the forbidden room before the youngling could protest._

_Halfway into the room Starscream stopped, amazed at the amount of gear that was neatly stacked and organized around them. "Look at all the technical manuals…" He walked over to a sturdy bookcase and pulled out a pad about battle armor designs. He accessed the pad and read through the first pages, his optics drinking up the design specs for properly equipping protoforms with the most effective armor. His optics drifted up to the shelf and scanned the titles organized there. "'Advanced Energon Weapon Design and Creation', 'Advanced Wraith Technology', 'Assimilating Alien Technology', 'The CEG Survival Guide for Off-World Expeditions', 'Cryptography and Ciphers', 'Guide to Wraith Weaponry', 'Hand-to-Hand Battle Techniques', 'Identification Guide of Alien Ships', 'Protoform Formatting', 'P.O.W. Mind Partitioning Programming', 'Wraith-Class Field Medic Handbook', 'Wraith and Cybertronian Battlefield Sign Language', 'Wraith Protoform Camouflage'… What is a 'wraith'?"_

_Skywarp had been digging through a crate of unknown gear. "Wraiths are an elite fighting force."_

"_I've never heard of them. What branch of the Guard are they in?" Thundercracker peeked in the doorway, curious but cautiously watching the others._

_The black youngling stood up with a new box of strange kibble. "They aren't. They're the covert operations force."_

"_Covert operations? Like spies?"_

"_Yeah kinda. But they do more than just spy on the enemy. They know all about weapons and explosives and survival." Skywarp put the new box to one side and moved over to another one. "They know all sorts of stuff."_

"_Including how to put alarms on doors and sneak up on misbehaving sparklings." The air shimmered in the middle of the room as the black flier appeared, his arms over his chest and giving Skywarp a reproving look. "How many times have I told you to stay out of here?"_

_Skywarp sighed at getting caught and looked away from his father-creator. "A lot of times…"_

_The worldly green optics swung around to look at a completely petrified Starscream clinging tightly to a data pad and then to a horrified Thundercracker who had moved out of the doorway. "You weren't a very good lookout, Thundercracker."_

_The horrified optics of the blue mech nearly popped out of his face. "But I-"_

_"…He wasn't a lookout. He didn't want to come in or open the door." Skywarp scuffed a foot against the floor sullenly._

_Worldly green optics turned their gaze onto the trembling red youngling who was trying to hide behind the data pad. "And your excuse?"_

"…_I dragged him in here. He saw the data pads and didn't touch anything. It's my fault they're even here." The black youngling half-heartedly kicked at a nearby box._

_The older flier looked back and forth between the other two. "Is that true?"_

_The frightened younglings didn't move._

_The flier shuttered his optics and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What are you doing in here, Skywarp?"_

"…_Just looking for stuff."_

"_What stuff? Because if I find out that you even touched one of the guns-"_

"_No one touched any guns. We needed- I needed stuff to build a comlink system." The youngling shuffled uncomfortably in his spot._

_The flier gazed at the three younglings in disbelief. "You need a comlink?"_

"_We- we- we were going to build our own." Starscream stuttered in a voice three octaves higher than usual._

"_A comlink?" He glanced around at the sparklings again. "Why do I not believe you? None of you could build a working comlink." _

_"It's the truth. And 'Screamer could. He's fixed our grease guns a lot and made new nozzles for them." Skywarp gave a worried look to his father-creator and then to Starscream. "Show him the data pad."_

_A very shaky red hand lifted up his data pad. The flier took it from him, flipping it on and reading over the contents quickly. Worldly green optics glanced up at the red youngling, "This doesn't have specs for a comlink."_

_Starscream gave a weak nod. "It's just a basic concept…"_

_The flier looked at the data pad again, and then back at the youngling. "You designed this?"_

_Starscream looked at the floor._

_He stepped around the youngling and scanned the bookcase before pulling out two data pads and handing them to the still trembling Starscream. "Read over those and then bring me your design. You have until this time tomorrow to complete it, and if you are serious about the comlink system I'll help you get the parts for them."_

--

"And that's how we got our com-systems." Skywarp crossed his arms over his cockpit with a triumphant nod.

Wheeljack was amazed, "You created that as a youngling?"

Starscream snorted as he worked, "It's gone through many upgrades, but it still follows the original design."

The engineer chuckled, "What I would give for some of those Wraith tech manuals."

"We read most of them but 'Screamer read every single one of them at least twice." The knowing grin Skywarp gave to his wingmate was completely ignored by the red Seeker.

"Well that explains why the instructors raved about you." Wheeljack's comment drew three sets of optics. His vocal indicators lit up as he laughed, "You weren't in any of my classes, but I heard a lot about you."

Blood red optics widened, "You- you heard about me?"

"Yeah. From quite a few people," He clapped the Seeker on the shoulder with another chuckle. "Let's head to the lounge for a break and I'll tell you about yourself."

Ratchet started to herd the two towards the door, "Good time for a break."

Starscream looked back over his shoulder at a now pouting Skywarp. "What about-"

Ratchet smirked as the doors opened. "He isn't going anywhere. And we'll bring him back some energon."

* * *

Jazz scrubbed himself down in the wash racks. How he got that dirty from being in one room and not moving for a couple of days was baffling. Rachel had wanted to shower as well; she said that would help her feel better along with curling up with him to cuddle and rest.

Jazz frowned. She was wobbly and pale when he set her down by the door to her room and she had to catch herself of the doorframe. He suggested calling Ratchet instead of going back to the med bay, but she insisted she didn't need Ratchet's help and that her legs felt tired from sitting and laying down so much. She assured him that it would pass shortly and she managed to smile bravely up at him to prove her point. His courageous Rachel did push herself too hard at times just so he wouldn't worry and to keep Ratchet from fussing about her. She had made it _very_ clear that she did not like being coddled when she was sick from the nanite poisoning by finding her own way around the Ark, and by figuring out who everyone was just by the sound of their systems.

He let a breath air cycle through his systems - he was very thankful to Primus that the nanites had disappeared from her systems. Ratchet had once told him that he didn't know what the nanites would do to Rachel, but once they were gone she bounced back stronger than ever. She was still the same person she was when he was assigned to be her guardian, just not as shy and she laughed and smiled a lot more for him. Rachel's laughter was music to his audios; a symphony comprised of soft and melodious giggles that would betray her happiness. Each had its own identity. Certain giggles were for jokes she found funny, while another one would be nervous because of culture shock - which included her sweet blush, a third would be for stifling 'inappropriate' laughter, and then there was the giggle that was meant exclusively for him when he would surprise her.

And then there was her smile. Just thinking about her bright smile made his spark beat faster. He used to ask her to smile for him - now every time his optics met hers she'd break into that beautiful smile. Sure she'd smile at everyone else, but it wasn't the _same_ _smile that she had for_ _him_. Her eyes would sparkle and he could feel the love she held for him radiate through. He could feel it even in her touch: the warmth from her hand on his just to let him know she was with him, or when she touched her forehead to his cheek, or when she leaned on his leg when she needed reassurance.

And when she kissed him… Now that made his spark flutter.

They had shared only a handful of kisses, and each one was etched lovingly into his memory banks. She would often surprise him when she sat on his shoulder and kissed his cheek, or when she would brush her lips over his steering wheel during their long drives together. And his spark quivered when she pressed her lips on his armor while they were in the med bay pretending to be asleep just a few jours ago.

He turned off the water and grabbed one of the mech-sized fluffy towels that he had acquired and dried himself off. He couldn't help but grin evilly; maybe when Rachel was feeling better he could convince her to help wax his armor…

Jazz left the wash racks and headed back to his room. The hallways of the Ark were quiet due to the current situation, and he wondered how long would it be before he was called for duty.

As he rounded the final corner to the dorms, he spotted Rachel sitting next to his door. Her head was in her hands, her long and wet hair draped like a curtain over her shoulders. Why hadn't she let herself into his quarters? He ran to her side and knelt, "Rach?"

She brushed her hair out of her eyes to look up at him and shivered; her face was pale and her eyes looked glassy.

"That's it. I'm callin' Ratchet."

"No. Don't call him."

"I don't care if y' two are at each other's throats. Y're lookin' sicker by the moment."

That brave smile appeared, but there wasn't the usual strength behind it. She forced herself to her feet. "It's not that, Jazz. I'm just very tired."

"I still think y' need t' have him check y' over, Rach."

"Let me rest for a little while. If I don't feel better after a nap, then you can drag me to the med bay. Okay?"

Jazz frowned as he reached up and entered the code to his quarters. "Fine. But I get t' decide if y' seem better or not."

She reached out and put her hand on his leg for support. "Deal. But right now I just want to curl up and sleep for a million years."

He ignored her indignant squeak and swooped her up in his arms. She didn't fight him back for carrying her, but curled up against his hood and tucked her head under his chin. Jazz headed straight for his recharge berth and arranged her bedding for her. He tucked her in and curled up around her protectively, "I'll wake y' up in a bit, Rach. If y' still don't feel good, and I can tell if y're lyin' t' me, I'm takin' y' straight t' Ratchet."

She drowsily nodded as she snuggled closer to him for warmth, "I love you, Jazz..."

"I love y' too, Rach." She was asleep before he finished the sentence.

He carefully pushed her wet hair out of her face. There was no denying it. She was sick and needed to see Ratchet.

"_Jazz to Ratchet."_

"_Ratchet here. What do you want?"_

Grumpy mech, Jazz thought to himself. _"Rachel's really pale and she's havin' trouble standin' on her own. I think she's sick."_

There was an audible sigh on the other end of the connection. _"I'll be there shortly. Ratchet out."_

Jazz felt a little relieved. Rachel wasn't going to be too happy with him, and he could live with that. But he _couldn't_ live without her. And anything that threatened to harm her scared him. Badly. He ran his finger down her cheek while he watched her sleep. It was a fitful sleep and it was obvious she wasn't resting well.

"_Prowl to Jazz."_

"_Jazz here. Whatcha need?"_

"_I am reminding you of your shift in Communications in one joor."_

"_Y' sure know how t' make a 'bots vacation lousy, Prowl."_

"_Your behavior the past few days was not considered a 'vacation' by anyone's standards."_

"_Aww, are y' still upset wit' me for hand cuffin' y' t' Ironhide?"_

"_We will discuss that at a later date."_

Jazz couldn't help but smirk._ "I'll mark my calendar. Oh, and Prowl?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I'd stay clear of Rachel for the next few days."_

"_Rachel? Why?"_

"_Y' aren't on her list of friendlies right now. And seein' the dressin' down she gave the Hatchet, y' might want t' avoid getting' y're limbs torn off and repositioned elsewhere."_

"… _Your shift starts in one joor, Jazz. Prowl out."_

* * *

With just over a breem until his shift, Jazz met Ratchet at the door to his quarters. "She's asleep, but she's not restin' well. I'd stay and help y' doc, but I've got a shift in Communications comin' up." Jazz tried to lighten the frown on the grouchy medic. "She wasn't blustery at all before she fell asleep. That has t' count for her calmin' down, right?"

Ratchet just muttered and walked over to the berth. "I'll call you if I find anything."

"Jus' take good care of her, Ratchet."

Ratchet turned to glare at Jazz, "Are you insinuating that I _don't_ take good care of my patients?"

Jazz gave him a level glare, "She's more than jus' y're patient t' me."

"It's time for your shift. Get out of here before Prowl comes looking for you. Last thing I need is her awake with Prowl around."

The disarming smile came back and Jazz saluted Ratchet as he left. "Thanks, doc!"

Ratchet scanned the sleeping woman taking note on how pale she was before he attempted to wake her. He poked Rachel's shoulder lightly. "Up and at 'em."

She weakly waved him off, but he kept poking until she sat up. "You really have something about me trying to sleep don't you?"

"I do not have a problem with you getting some sleep. On the other hand, I do have a problem with you not sleeping well and barely able to stand on your own." A penlight was subspaced and Ratchet flashed it across her eyes. "Are you nauseous?"

She nodded slightly, "Yeah, I'm queasy, but that's from the concussion, right? And where is Jazz?"

"Not here. Do your knees and lower back feel weak, or do you feel off-balance?"

"Both."

"Feel tired like you've been sitting at your desk too long or like you're just getting over a cold and feel weak?"

"Like I'm getting over a cold."

Ratchet stood up. "I'm expecting you to show for your shift today."

Rachel glared at him. "What if I just want to stay in here and sleep?"

He shrugged. "That's fine. But you won't feel better if you sleep."

"I think I can tell what my own body needs to feel better, thank you."

He walked over to the door. "Not in this case. You need to be up and moving around if you want to get used to the artificial gravity."

The young woman stared at him as the door to Jazz's quarters slid open. "Artificial gravity?"

"I believe that is what I said."

"I don't understand…"

"Of course you wouldn't. You were asleep when we lifted off." Ratchet started to exit the room.

"Lifted off?"

"Don't be late for your shift, Rachel."

* * *

Like it? Hate it? Leave me a note please! DC loves her reviewers.

* * *

I am so glad everyone likes the character interactions! I try really hard to catch personalities and work them through certain situations like thought processes and reactions, which can be hard at times when all I have to go on is some part in the G1 cartoon or the tech specs from the toys!

jazztransformsme: I'm glad you like the interaction between Rachel and Skywarp! The Seekers aren't well liked by either the Autobots or Decepticons so any friend they can turn to will help in the coming chapters.

FORD B: We'll just have to wait and see how things pan out. Technically, Rachel is just considered a friend of the Autobots, therefore even if Optimus were to give the order, Rachel wouldn't have to abide by it. As for the other part... we'll have to wait and see. -evil laugh-

Bluebird Soaring: Truthfully, I was a little worried about the interaction between 'Screamer and Jetfire. Out of all three Seekers, I see Starscream as the least social while Skywarp would be the life of the party and TC would fit in between them. Being like minded about science was what drew the quiet Veritech and the screechy Seeker together as friends, and in my twisted little world Starscream would value their friendship. He'll still have trouble trusting anyone besides TC and 'Warp, but maybe he'll come around. As for Rachel and Skywarp, they've had a strange dynamic going since she told Starscream to shove it. And it will continue to get stranger - especially if they run out of time! And she still hasn't asked him why she was in his last dream!

Fire From Above: I'm going to put a few more bits and pieces from 'Young Turks' in here. I wasn't going to at first, but the more I thought about how I wanted parts of both stories to play out, I realized I needed to cross things over. And the regroup in here was necessary because of what happens next - we're only missing two main characters now!

Cassiopeia1979: The Seekers needed the bolstering. TC isn't that worried - yet. But Warp and Screamer needed each other to keep going, especially with what will be asked of them! And sweet and shy Rachel has learned in the year she's spent with the Autobots that she needs to stand up for herself (and Jazz) because sometimes you're on your own.

Lia Jax: It's about to get a lot more intense! Old Megsy isn't happy and will be even more pissed that two of his best (who he did insult saying they were replaceable) are with the Autobots right now. Hmm, I wonder if the space bridge works...

aeroferret: Did I surprise you with who freaked out about the bombings? Starscream is the only one who knows the most about what happened. He knows what happened from his perspective, from what Megsy told him and now what Prime said. It will be interesting to see how they inform TC about it and who else has a piece of the story to tell!

Elita One: Yep, Our girl Rachel is back and giving Ratchet hell!

tomorrow4eva: Our Autobot trio on Cybertron is an odd group, but wait til you see who one of them is! And since a few of our 'bots were actually at the Academy on the day it happened... that would be really messed up if the 'good guys' kill off their own, I wonder if that's why Wheeljack likes to blow things up...

Moonpiper: The second love story does involve TC, but not Astral. -evil grin-

CaravanKa: More mysteries are coming and there will be answers in the next chapter! Really freaky answers, but answers nonetheless!

flashingmarsh: We do love the Seekers in our own twisted way. I wonder what Rachel will do to get back at Skywarp. And Cliffjumper has gone off the deep end... especially after Hook messed with his already deranged CPU!

* * *


	17. Chapter 17 Unwilling Partners

_A/N: Yes, I know it's taken forever for me to get this written, but I had to catch up on 'Young Turks' so upcoming events will make sense, not to mention that every thing I wrote for this chapter got ripped to shreds because I disliked it. Fluff! Yay for Jazz and Rachel fluff! And some more interaction between Rachel and Will. And a certain scene that hints at what is to come. You can blame my readers for giving me this idea - you know who you are!_

Synopsis: We're inside Rachel's head for most of this chapter: She's irritated at being cut off from talking to Jazz whenever she wants to, she's frustrated about having to rebuild her wireless Teletraan 1, she doesn't like being 5'5"... And on top of it all she has to convince Jazz that she'll be fine on this mission - except why can she feel his emotions as if they were her own?

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed and reviews are given much love!

Story Arc 7

Chapter 17 – **Unwilling Partners**

I looked up at Ratchet as he started to leave. "Artificial gravity?"

"I believe that is what I said."

But why would the Ark need artificial gravity? "I don't understand…"

"Of course you wouldn't. You were asleep when we lifted off."

"Lifted off?" Was Ratchet being serious?

"I have a meeting to attend to. Don't be late for your shift, Rachel." Ratchet exited the room without looking back.

I pushed the covers off of me and jumped rather painfully off the edge of Jazz's recharge berth. "Hey, wait! Ratchet!" The grumpy medic was halfway down the hall by the time I made it out the door. My head was swimming, my vision could not discern up from down and my legs felt like they were made of jelly, but I needed to find out what he really meant. "Ratchet!"

He turned the corner still heading to the med bay and ignoring my calls. My stomach wanted to rebel as I ran after him, and I had to stop yelling at him as I struggled to breathe and not puke, but my stomach overruled my need to find out what Ratchet had meant by 'lifted off'. I made it to the corner and leaned forwards, hanging on the edge of the wall and choking up what little water I had earlier on the orange titanium floor in front of me.

Ratchet called over his shoulder to me as he turned down another hallway. "Make sure you clean that up so no one slips in it, Rachel."

I sank to my knees as I tried to catch my breath and make sure my innards were certain that they were empty before I trudged back to my room for a towel. I glared at the puddle in front of me; I did deserve the brush off by Ratchet, especially since our shouting match in the med bay. That still did not excuse him from drugging Jazz in my eyes, but _I_ did deserve his rough treatment. Slowly I got to my feet and stood on wobbly legs. It took a minute for me to regain my bearings and I had to blink repeatedly to clear the swirling static that roiled in my head. My ears were ringing loud enough to make the titanium walls around me vibrate. I groaned and looked back down at the puddle in front of me – if I had just been able to keep up with Ratchet I could have found out what exactly he meant.

I peered down both ends of the hallway; no one was around to slip in the mess I made or answer my questions. I tottered back to my room as I tried to focus on the idea of artificial gravity_. Artificial gravity. Lifting off_. That could only mean the Ark was in space, but why? What had happened that necessitated the departure from the Earth? And where in space were we? Were we on our way to Cybertron?

I still felt a little dizzy and the effect worsened when I tilted my head to one side or the other. Another groan escaped and I made a mental note to not move my head suddenly. When I got to the door to my room I gave a very small hop while holding on to the doorframe to see if I felt lighter. There might have been a little less resistance, but not enough to really register a difference. I opened the door and took a towel from the bathroom, taking a few unsteady lunges to test out any other effects. There wasn't anything outstanding in my semi-tottering tests.

The Ark wasn't designed to be a rotating spaceship, so that meant there was something on board that was generating a gravitational force relative to the gravity on Cybertron, and the change from Earth's 1g to Cybertron's was making me nauseous.

I looked around my room for my wireless Teletraan 1; I knew if I looked up the Ark's schematics I could find out more about Cybertron's gravitational forces… I stopped with a sigh. I had forgotten that I destroyed it and the earpiece when I was taken aboard the aircraft carrier. I left my room scowling and I walked back to the hallway I had gotten sick in – I'd need to build a new wireless Teletraan 1 from scratch. I knelt down and sopped up the mess I had made, turning ideas over in my head that was slowly shaking off the muddied fog faster than my body was. I had some spare parts at my desk in the med bay incase I needed to make repairs, but I wasn't sure if I had enough materials for a new one. In hindsight I should have had a reserve of parts for instances just like this.

I sat on my heels in the middle of the hallway staring off into oblivion. So much had happened over the past six days that it was difficult to even wrap my brain around it. And it seemed that I only knew half of the picture if Ratchet was serious. Like why had the Ark left Earth. Something major must have happened for the Autobots to leave…

My attention snapped back to reality - did the Decepticons leave Earth and we're going to Cybertron? Or worse, did the Decepticons defeat the Autobots? I shook that last idea off quickly. I would have noticed full beds in the med bay with damaged mechs even if I were out of it; the light from everyone's oscillating sparks would have been overwhelmingly distracting.

I suddenly wanted to see outside the Ark right now and I stood up quickly to find one of the many apertures that lined the outer hallways. My entire world swayed sharply to the left because of my abrupt movement, and I shut my eyes as I swallowed a mouthful of bile. My mantra for those moments that I was forced to fly filled my head: _You are not going to get sick. You are not going to get sick._

Very carefully, and saying my anti-sickness mantra with every deliberate step, I made my way back to my room and dumped the soiled towel in the sink. I picked up my sweater and a tie for my hair and walked purposefully for one of the outer hallways as the nausea slowly started to fade. Once upon a time, I had wanted to be an astronaut… until I found out I get motion sick very easily. But if we were in outer space, then I wanted to see it. Now.

--

Jazz swaggered into the lounge to get his morning energon and was greeted by cheering Lamborghinis. The room was partially full: The Twins and Bluestreak had been sitting on one of the over-sized couches playing video games, Mirage sat on the other couch reading a holopad, Hound and Trailbreaker were sitting at one of the tables going over a topographic map of some sort, and Wheeljack was sitting with a certain red Seeker and talking animatedly about something. Starscream actually looked to be highly interested in whatever the engineer was saying.

Sideswipe, grinning from audio receptor to audio receptor, bowed his head and made 'worshipping' motions with his arms. "We're not worthy! We're not worthy!"

"You should teach us how to get out of energy cuffs, Jazz." The smirk on the golden Lamborghini's face hinted at mountains of trouble.

Jazz chuckled, "Maybe later. Give Prowl some time t' forget about tryin' t' restrain a mech such as _myself_ wit' paltry standard energy cuffs."

Bright blue optics widened as Bluestreak asked the question of the hour, "Did you really handcuff Prowl to Ironhide?"

Jazz smirked as he poured his cube of energon and took a sip, "I wouldn't mention that around Ironhide. He was one unhappy 'bot when he lifted his arm _and_ Prowl off the floor."

The other mechs in the room laughed and clapped for him and he took a couple wide bows to the group, "Thank y'. Thank y'. Y' can catch the rest of my act on Red Alert's 55-890 milli-klik camera. No autographs, please."

During his final bow, Jazz noticed the four nervous humans sitting quietly at the human-sized table. He sauntered over to them and knelt down, offering his hand to one of the humans in tan and gray camouflage. "I'm assumin' y' are the guys that I need t' thank for rescuin' my Rachel. I'm Jazz, Special Operations for the Autobots."

The man looked at the proffered hand before tentatively reaching out to shake it, "I'm Baron. This is Kidder, Cujo, and Swifty."

"Nice t' meet y'!" Jazz smiled brightly. "I've got t' head off for my shift, but if any of y' need anythin', jus' let me know. I owe y' a lot for bringin' my girl back."

The four shared a hesitant look with each other; the humans' cautious behavior was to be expected, they had their entire worldview tossed around like a feather in a cyclone, but the tone of their question struck Jazz as odd. "Doctor Milne is 'your girl'?"

"Yep! But I call her 'Rachel'. 'Doctor Milne' is a little t' formal for me, not t' mention awkward for us." The startled look on their faces puzzled Jazz, almost if the admission of a relationship with Rachel was some horribly forbidden taboo to them…

Wheeljack walked over and patted him on the shoulder, "Prime wants all officers to meet in the conference room, Jazz."

Jazz looked at Starscream warily, "What about him?"

"Starscream is going too. Come on, we'll walk over together. I was just explaining to him my ideas on purity filters for energy converters." Wheeljack bubbled excitedly at having another scientist around to talk about his projects.

Jazz hid his veiled distrust at having one of the Autobots most vicious enemies present at a meeting. "Be right wit' y' 'Jack." He turned his attention back on the now bewildered humans, "I'm sure Prowl demonstrated how t' use the comsystems, so if y' need anythin' at all, don't hesitate t' call me."

"Uh, okay…" The four humans looked even more troubled than they had when Jazz first noticed them.

Jazz gave them a wide and friendly smile as he turned to follow Wheeljack and the snarky Seeker out of the lounge. The four were even more nervous after speaking to him, a strange response for humans that were supposed to be top soldiers. He couldn't put his finger on exactly why they were disturbed by the Autobots, but he had some theories on their behavior. He'd talk to Rachel about it after the meeting since she had been with them the longest and had more insight on the dynamics of these humans.

Swifty stared wide-eyed at the three retreating forms as they exited the lounge. When his mind was finally able to catch up with what the black and white mech had said to them he turned and faced the others who looked just as confused as he felt. "Did he say what I thought he said?"

Kidder's jaw still hung open, "About him and Doctor Milne?"

"Yeah."

"That is so not right." Cujo looked over to Kidder and Swifty, shaking his head slightly, "She's human and he's… a _car_."

"This whole place is freaky. Giant talking alien cars." Kidder glanced around the room nervously, his eyes darting over to the super-sized couch where the three brightly colored aliens were arguing over whose turn it was on the Playstation. "How did they keep these guys under wraps? I know they do that thing where they change into cars and shit, but damn. I've only seen one Lamborghini that wasn't in a magazine, and there are TWO right there fighting over Gran Turismo. And that blue one is the new Ferrari! You can't hide sports cars like those!"

"There are three Lamborghinis," Swifty took a drink from his soda. "You're forgetting that red and white one that was scanning the birds for security purposes."

"Better get used to them," Baron leaned back in his chair. "We're going to be here a while and working with them, and so far they've been pretty cool."

Kidder smirked, "Except for that big one with the cannons."

"You're afraid of a robot?" Cujo looked at Kidder incredulously.

"I don't remember you standing up to Ironhide when he had a missile lock on you, Cujo."

"You didn't have that crazy woman screaming in your ears. Shit. Did you see that thing she built to contact these robots? Used Will's cell phone and stuff out of my tool box."

"You know I'm open to ideas that there are lots of unexplained things in the world, heck I had a buddy who swore he saw three F-15's in the air without pilots. But even the X-Files didn't have aliens like this." Kidder gestured to the room, "They're intimidating for sure, but they're damned cool. And who else do you know who can truthfully say they've hung out with real aliens?"

"Oh, I don't know." Cujo glared at him, "How about every trailer park freak that thinks they've been on the receiving end of an anal probe and have some microchip in their head."

"Yeah, but these guys aren't 'little green men'. They're friendly and they've gone out of their way to make sure we're okay." Swifty stared at the red and golden Lamborghinis as the battle over the game controller turned into a push fight. "Anyways, I'm more worried about being stepped on accidentally."

"No shit." Kidder grinned at the others, "I wonder how the good doctor manages not being squashed underfoot."

There was a loud crash as the Lamborghinis' fight turned into a wrestling match on the floor. The humans watched in stunned fascination as the blue Ferrari attempted to pull the two combatants apart while the rest of the mechs in the room ignored the fight.

Baron snorted and took a long drink from his soda, "Probably by staying as far away from the TV and the Playstation as possible when those two are around."

--

The clear aperture opened up with a view that had few words to describe it. Beautiful was a paltry excuse of a word to express the sight of the Earth floating against the inky black background of space. Breathtaking was slightly better because the sight did make your breath catch in your throat and give you that buzzing, lightheaded feeling. Out of this world was just a stupid pun. 'The Blue Planet' was an understatement of the view spread out before me. I never gave much thought to what that term meant - it was a hollow descriptive phrase - but now that I was staring down at my home and was able to see exactly how much of the Earth is stunningly cerulean… it was an oasis among the stars. A brilliant round sapphire amid a spread of tiny, sparkling diamonds. Tufts of clouds looked like floating dandelion parachutes gliding through the air. A typhoon off the coast of Baja, Mexico looked like a wisp of cotton candy. The very western crescent of the globe was still in the shadow of night and I could see the bright lights of the Australian coast lining the edge of the earth; it was the only hint of civilization visible from my vantage point. Dawning sunlight danced across the Pacific Ocean as the Earth slowly spun on the invisible gossamer thread that held it aloft in space, awakening the eastern coasts of Asia and Australia to another vibrant day.

I do not know how long I stood there watching the dawn spread over the west. You rarely stop to consider the true magnificence behind the dawn – it's just a part of the day that happens every twenty-four hours. It's morning coffee and the start of another workday. You send the kids off to school and head to your job. Maybe you glance at the rising sun as you sit at a stoplight, or maybe you slide the visor down to block out the growing light, never once considering just what a truly beautiful occurrence the breaking of dawn is.

_Jazz needs to see this_. _Something this incredible needs to be shared, and who else would appreciate the scene with me than him?_ _He has probably seen hundreds of planets from outer space and Earth might not be that spectacular, but I want to share how beautiful my home looks from this window into space with him_. I reached up to tap my earpiece to access communications only to be reminded that it was gone. "Crud."

I sighed out loud at the memory of destroying the wireless Teletraan 1 as the feeling of being cut off from everyone sent cold fingers of fear after my stomach. Technically, I was not alone. I was on the Ark with everyone just a call or short walk away, but I did not like the thought that I could not communicate with Jazz whenever I wanted.

I took one last glance at Earth with a silent promise that I would return with Jazz in tow to see its silent majesty, and then proceeded to walk off towards Communications to find him.

--

Optimus Prime stood in front of the mechs and humans gathered in the conference room – friends he had worked and fought alongside for eons, two humans the Autobots befriended… and one mech that he had considered an enemy until a solar cycle ago. He looked over the group and contemplated how much had changed in just a few joors. The status quo had been shredded and thrown into the air to scatter in the whirlwinds of abrupt change: the human government he had considered an ally now viewed the Autobots as enemies, he had two of the Decepticons upper echelon officers on board the Ark as guests, and he had an unheard of occurrence happening on the planet he promised to protect.

"I've called this meeting because of the events that have occurred over the past few solar cycles. As everyone is aware of, we removed the Ark from planetside to a geostationary orbit in order to avoid conflict with the humans. From what Colonel Granger has told me, the governments of China, Russia, Japan and the United States have learned about the radioactive signal off the coast of Alaska, and are fighting over whom it belongs to. And since we informed the President of exactly what the signal means, United States government has decided to ensure that they take control of it before the Decepticons or Autobots could retrieve it; hence their attack on the Nemesis and the planned attack on the Ark." Optimus gazed over the group, weighing his next words carefully.

"The radiation signal is from an Allspark." He paused as the gathered mechs murmured in surprise and shock before nodding to Jetfire. "Jetfire has informed me that this is not Cybertron's Allspark, but Earth's. His mentor had a theory that there was an Allspark for every planet in the universe that supported life. And for an unknown reason, Earth's Allspark is rising through the planet's crust and will surface in the Pacific Ocean in twenty-eight days."

There was still some murmuring as Optimus Prime surveyed the officers and the quietly scowling Seeker. His audio receptors picked up certain words from the group - predominately about taking the Allspark back to Cybertron. He held up his hand to get everyone's attention. "We do not know why the Allspark is moving, but we must keep it out of Megatron's hands at all costs until we can find a way to return it to its proper place. Now, Jetfire and Rachel have discovered a radiation signal similar to the Allspark's on Mars, and I have given Jetfire and Starscream permission to take a survey group to the planet in search of answers to find out why Earth's Allspark is moving."

There were noticeable disgruntled rumblings from the seated mechs.

Optimus' optics rested on Starscream as the red Seeker crossed his arms haughtily over his cockpit, "We do not believe that Megatron knows about the Allsparks, but it would be foolish to assume he hasn't noticed the radiation signals by now. Starscream has informed us that Megatron does not have a scanner to identify the signals, and that there are only three such scanners in existence. Starscream and Jetfire each have a scanner, as does Thundercracker on Cybertron, whom we have not been able to establish contact. In the last transmission we received from Ultra Magnus he reported that Thundercracker had been spotted around Iacon Academy, but we are left to assume that he has eluded capture by Decepticon forces."

"Why would th' Decepticons take 'ere own as a prisoner?" Ironhide turned to peer at Starscream though his question was to the room.

Blood red optics narrowed in a scowl, "Because when I last _spoke_ to Megatron he said Thundercracker had not returned in time for the next departure on the Space Bridge or responded to any of Shockwave's hails."

"So they think he's defected?"

"Or destroyed. Megatron believes Skywarp was killed in the explosion," Starscream's glare was turned on the table in front of him, his optics attempting to bore holes through it. He spat the warlord's name as if it was the vilest curse, "_Megatron_ sees _us_ as… expendable cannon fodder. The loss of Thundercracker and Skywarp was _incidental_ to the Decepticon cause."

Optimus Prime watched the angry Seeker, his spark filled with both concern and pity; such bright and strong mechs tossed aside like refuse. He wondered for the millionth time in the last solar cycle what had pushed the three into joining the Decepticons.

Starscream must have felt the Autobot leader's gaze because he looked up suddenly and locked optics with him. "The Allspark is of little concern to me, as is this mudball planet. The only thing on it worth my trouble was the crystal that Megatron destroyed. But I want the information collected about the radiation signals on Mars and anything else that pertains to the Seekers. If it helps you with your concerns about the Earth, so be it. But after we have collected what we need, then Skywarp and I will return to Cybertron **unhindered** by the Autobots."

Kindly blue optics calmly met the fiery red ones. "What will you do then, Starscream?"

"We will locate Thundercracker. After that is of no concern to anyone."

"Will you rejoin Megatron?"

Starscream stared down Optimus, a glowing hatred burning in his optics "We will not come back here, if that is what you are asking, Prime. Megatron can go slag himself for all I care, and I am certain Thundercracker and Skywarp share that feeling." He left out the detail where he and the other Seekers would return to destroy Megatron once they gathered the rest of the artifacts.

Optimus nodded solemnly and turned to the quiet scientist, "Jetfire, anything you and Starscream require for this mission will be provided to you, but I would like it if you took a security patrol with you as well. Though Megatron may not know about this, I do not want to take any chances."

"I would like to request Wheeljack's and Rachel's presence on the mission if I might, Optimus. Whomever else you deem necessary to go with Starscream and I will be welcomed, and most likely bored, on the expedition." Icy blue optics smiled at the red Seeker.

"We don't need that rotten human with us, Jetfire." Starscream glared at the gentle scientist. "She will only bring us trouble."

"I disagree," Jetfire glanced between Starscream and Optimus Prime. "Rachel has experience reading the pictograms and the hieroglyphics, not to mention the extensive research she has done on the information the humans have collected from their explorations of Mars. Having her along will free up Starscream's and my time to study the signals properly, which would allow the Seekers to return to Cybertron quickly."

Jazz's visor flashed a vexed azure. "I think that's a bad idea. Y' have no way t' protect her from the elements and atmosphere, or the Decepticons if they show up."

Wheeljack picked up on the line of thought and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "I think I can construct a 'space suit' like the human astronauts use. I'd need to find the biometric schematics for it, but I could design and build one in a few joors."

Wes Granger cleared his throat, "I think we can help in that matter, Optimus."

The Autobot leader turned his attention to the two humans who so far had been quiet for the entire meeting, "You have something Wheeljack can use?"

"Actually, we have something better than that." Wes stood up to address the group, "In the cargo hold of our C-17 we have five prototype flight suits that NASA was considering for use in the space program. One of them could be outfitted to accommodate the Doctor, but I would request that you send Captain Lennox along with her in case there was a problem."

"Optimus," Jazz implored. "Y' can't seriously consider this. It's dangerous for both of them. We don't know what they'd find on the planet and all of the preliminary readings indicate little atmosphere and radiation levels that are harmful t' humans. And I bet the suits never saw serious use except in simulation."

"Jazz. I guarantee that Rachel would be safe. I will carry them myself since my body is designed to withstand high levels of radiation and the cold vacuum of space. And in the occurrence of a malfunction of my systems, Starscream or Skywarp could carry them." Jetfire tried to placate Jazz, but his words of reassurance were having no affect. "Rachel's addition to the survey group is essential. She has studied the human culture the hieroglyphics came from and their relation to Cybertronian writings. And on the chance that we find one of the Seeker artifacts, she is proficient in reading the pictographs, especially if there are more like the scripts we found on the crystal in Mexico."

Starscream's optics flashed angry ruby. "I am **NOT** a transport vehicle and I refuse to carry any human. Especially **THAT** one."

Small sniggers peppered the room and Ratchet gave the offended Seeker an evil smile, "Humans only purge their fuel tanks if you shake them around, Starscream. If you fly like a sane individual you're less likely to be filled with organic matter."

The red Seeker huffed. "I am not carrying a human and that is _final_."

While this argument was circulating the room Jazz opened a private comlink to Optimus Prime, pleading with him to keep Rachel off the mission. _"I jus' got her back, Optimus. I don't want t' lose her again, especially on a mission this dangerous."_

"_I'm sorry, Jazz, but I have to agree with Jetfire. Rachel's experience justifies her place on the team with the added bonus that the less time Starscream and Skywarp spend on the Ark, the faster moral will improve."_ Optimus looked kindly at Jazz, _"I realize how difficult this must be for you, but I have full faith that Jetfire will do every thing possible to keep Rachel safe."_

"_Then I want t' be assigned t' the mission. I can keep an optic on her and the Seekers at the same time."_

"_I need you here on Communications, Jazz. Our ability to stop Decepticon activity on Earth is greatly hindered because of our orbit. We will need as close to real-time information as we can get and you are the only mech fully trained to gather and read signals that quickly. I'm sorry, Jazz."_

The black and white Saboteur glared at the Autobot leader and cut off the private link without another word.

Optimus knew this would cause friction between Jazz and him again, but he had all of the Autobots' well-being to contend with, and having Starscream on-board and not in the brig was causing tensions to run high. He looked over the mechs and humans gathered. "Ironhide, I want you to gather a security patrol to assist Jetfire and Starscream. To the rest of you, I want the Ark on high alert and everyone prepared for battle. Prowl will be handing out shift and position assignments. Autobots, dismissed."

--

Just my luck that Jazz was stuck in the meeting with Optimus and the others - I slunk off to the med bay for my shift grumbling to myself. Even though the little time we did get to spend with each other was spent cuddling and asleep, it did not feel very fair. Especially since we were only just reunited. I silently vowed with a smile that as soon as that meeting ended I was going to find Jazz and kiss him. Ratchet and my work shift could wait until I got at least one kiss. And unless the grouchy medic had something specifically for me to do, my first order of business was to start rebuilding my wireless Teletraan 1. It would at least help pass the time until Jazz was free.

With a resigned sigh, I pushed the doors to the med bay open and was surprised to find the place empty except for Skywarp sitting on his table with his optics powered down. I wondered where Starscream was as I walked into the med bay since all the officers were supposed to be in the meeting. Maybe he was at the meeting, or maybe he was the center of attention at the meeting. Either way he was not here which meant that I did not have to listen to his grating and screechy voice.

I waved to Skywarp, "And how is the patient today?" From the first moment he woke up in the med bay, I used that annoyingly condescending phrase in an equally annoying singsong tone to aggravate the Seeker, and I learned quite a few of the more colorful Cybertronian hand signals for my efforts. After Ratchet fixed his vocalizer, Skywarp used his vast knowledge of curses and swearing to insult everything about the Earth, the Autobots, Ratchet, and, of course, my lineage all the way down to the very atoms I was created from. I took it all in stride and bantered with him until it became our normal routine. Then somewhere along the way our interactions stopped being vicious and turned into friendly teasing. Friendly enough for Skywarp to finally trust me to talk about the nightmares.

But today there was no snarky answer to my greeting.

I stopped my trek to my desk and gazed at the silent Seeker. It was unusual for him to not answer me back with at least a 'shut your vocalizer, femme, before I shut it for you'. Maybe he was thinking about what Optimus said about how the war started on Cybertron. Only one way to find out for sure, "Hey, Skywarp?"

Surprisingly enough, there was no answer. "'Warp?"

Still nothing. "Skkyywwarrrp? Earth to Skywarp. Come in, 'Warp."

His optics powered up to full and he turned to look at me, "What is it, femme?"

"You're quiet today. Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine."

I was curious as to what had him so distracted, but I didn't ask what he was thinking about. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

He shook his head silently as his optics darkened and went out of focus.

"All right. I'll be over at my desk if-" I didn't' finish the sentence - he was already lost in his own thoughts.

I headed for my little corner of the med bay and started the arduous process of gathering components I would need to rebuild my wireless Teletraan 1. I found the old laptop that had been the original wireless until the EMP pulse at the ruins of Teotihuacán; the screen had been completely destroyed along with most of its internal workings, but it would work as a housing for the wireless with some repairs. The top drawer was a veritable mother lode of parts and pieces of cellphone bits from my 'Cyber Babelfish' project that I would never see again. I dug through the remnants for usable bits and set aside parts for the earpiece and vocal activator. Bottom drawer of my desk had two replacement hard drives, an upgraded wireless modem that I had forgotten about, and the old flash drives that I had originally used to download the programs I had written that allowed me instant access to all of Teletraan 1's programs, databases and Communications.

Slowly the wireless laptop on steroids came together. I was missing a few key pieces that I would need to find before I could use the mini Teletraan 1 – little things like memory and a crystal to replace the broken screen. Wheeljack was sure to have some things I could use, but I had to wait until he was out of the meeting as well. The earpiece was easy enough to construct, I could put that together in my sleep.

I leaned back in my chair and stretched. Being hunched over my desk had put a few nasty cricks in my back and neck. I looked across the room at the unusually silent Seeker. He had not moved or spoken since I had talked to him, his features still held the same vacant gaze he had when I entered the room. I watched him while he stared at nothing; this behavior was out of character for him. I squinted to peer at his energy signature to check and make sure there was nothing internally wrong with him, but I did not see anything out of the ordinary.

I stood and walked across the room to his table and found him staring unseeingly at the floor in front of him. "Skywarp? Are you okay?"

He did not acknowledge my presence, so I stepped into his field of vision. "Skywarp?"

His optics brightened slightly as they focused on me, "What is it, femme?"

"I asked if you were okay. Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Liar." I crossed my arms over my chest, "What's up with you?"

"I'm being annoyed by a pink piece of squish."

I stuck my tongue out at him. "This pink piece of squish is concerned about you since you're being quiet. So you have two options - either you tell me what's wrong or I continue to annoy you."

His answer was to glare at me.

I smiled sweetly at him and in a sickeningly cute singsong voice threatened him, "I'll go turn the music on…"

Skywarp scowled at me, "Fine. I'm trying to listen to the meeting. Happy now?"

My interest was instantly piqued and I quickly ran up the ramp to his table. "Oh really? Does that mean Starscream is in there? What's are they talking about?"

He growled, "I told you what I was doing. Now stop bugging me."

"I changed my mind. Tell me what they're talking about."

"No."

"Come one, 'Warp!" I sat down next to him. "It's got to be something interesting since you're actually paying attention!"

I was rudely picked up and dropped on my feet on the ramp, "It doesn't concern you. Go back to your desk and leave me alone."

"Hey!" I turned around and glared at him, stomping back up the ramp. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what they're talking about."

He powered his optics down. "They're talking about going to Mars."

"So Jetfire and Starscream are in there? Is Optimus going to allow a mission? Have they set a date for it?"

One bright red optic flickered to life to glare at me, "I have no clue. And since you're insistent on bugging me it's hard to listen for the details."

"Sorry. I'll be quiet now." I didn't want to be quiet, I wanted to run around the room and act like a little kid at the prospect of going to Mars. I sat back down in front of him and folded my hands in my lap to keep from fidgeting.

He continued to glare at me out of his one optic and then sighed through his vents. "Meeting's over and they're coming here."

Without another word to the Seeker, I tore off down the ramp and out the med bay doors with two destinations in mind. One, I was going to find Jazz, kiss him and drag him to the window to see Earth. Two, I was going to find Jetfire and beg him to let me go to Mars with him. He had promised earlier, but I was not sure if that promise still held.

But I didn't have to worry about making two separate trips as both Jazz and Jetfire, along with Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Starscream were walking towards the med bay. Starscream looked like his normal sulky self, but was quietly listening to Jetfire, as was Optimus. Ratchet seemed bemused with the entire situation, while Jazz walked behind the group looking troubled and worried; he immediately brightened when I ran up and hugged him as best as I could.

He stopped walking and smiled, "Y' look like y're feelin' better."

That perfect disarming smile of his only made me feel giddier than I was. "I need to ask Jetfire one question and then you are coming with me."

"Oh am I?" He chuckled softly, "Where are we goin'?"

I grinned madly at him, "Outer decks. You have to see the view of the Earth. It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, and you just have to come see it!"

He pretended to pout, "I thought I was the most beautiful thing y've ever seen."

I giggled and felt a slight blush rise to my cheeks, "You're the most gorgeous person I've ever seen and the most amazing thing that ever happened to me. But you _have_ to come see this with me! It's so incredible seeing the Earth from this angle."

He chuckled again, but there was a hint of sadness in it. He scooped me up in his hands and set me on his shoulder. Something was bothering him, and now that I was this close to him, I could feel it. I leaned in and touched my forehead to his cheek. "Jazz? What's wrong?"

"Y' wanted t' find out if y're goin' t' Mars wit' Jetfire, right?"

"Yeah…" I could feel his fuel pump hitch. I frowned with a small sigh, "I'm not going, am I?"

"No, y're goin' on the mission."

"But you're not?" Now I understood why he was upset.

Jazz turned his head slightly so I could look into his visor. "Rach… I don't want y' t' go, but Jetfire says he needs y' because of y're work wit' the hieroglyphics. The choice is ultimately up t' y', but…" He leaned in close and touched his azure visor to my forehead, staring deeply into my eyes. I could feel his voice quietly rumble through my body as he spoke softly to me. "I'm scared, Rach. I jus' got y' back from the humans and I don't want t' lose y' again. Ironhide and Wheeljack are goin', too, but so are those two frakkin' Seekers. I want t' think that Skywarp won't hurt y' but I don't trust Starscream."

I raised my hands and gently stroked his cheeks, "Can't we talk to Optimus? Ironhide will need help keeping a watch on Starscream and-"

Jazz gently shook his head, "I've already tried, Rach. He needs me here t' monitor Communications in case the 'Cons try anythin' on Earth."

I blinked in confusion, "He's making you stay here for _that_? He can't get someone else to do it?"

He just shook his head and I scowled. I did not want to be separated from Jazz, regardless of the fact that Jetfire needed me, but this was a once in a lifetime event. What other human could say with certainty that they've been to another planet? "This isn't fair…"

One of the large bulbous windows that lined the outer hallways came into view and we stopped in front of it. I was so focused on Jazz that I hadn't felt him walking. I peered into the inky darkness that surrounded the Earth; the previous feelings of awe at its beauty were pushed roughly aside by my disappointment as I stared at the lonely blue planet hanging in the bleak nothingness of space. The contrast between the cerulean blue oceans against the ebony background seemed faded and dull. Even the twinkling stars had lost their glowing luster.

"Earth is not pretty anymore now that I know you can't come with me…"

"It's still a pretty sight." His melodic voice brought a small smile to my lips. "I remember the first time I saw Cybertron from space. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen – y' bein' the most beautiful."

The view was quickly forgotten as I leaned close to him and breathily kissed his cheek, "How much trouble do you think I'd get in if I demanded that you be allowed on the trip?"

"Probably not much. I bet Optimus is expectin' y' t' disagree wit' his decision."

"Think it will make a difference, or will I get a lecture on the importance of self-sacrifice?"

Jazz chuckled, "Probably get the lecture."

I kissed his cheek again, "That doesn't leave many options for us. You're too big to sneak into Jetfire's cargo bay."

There was a sigh of resignation, "Y'll jus' need t' be extra careful and stay wit' Jetfire or Ironhide at all times."

Running my hand down the side of his face, I spoke softly, "Can I stay with you for all time?"

He turned to gaze at me with a gentle smile. "Always. Not even Primus can take me away from y', Rach."

--

"Hey, femme?"

I did not look up at Skywarp as I fought with my new, and almost complete, wireless Teletraan 1, roughly yanking a stubborn flash drive from its port.

"Femme?" The black and purple Seeker leaned down to peer at me, tapping the edge of my desk with a purple finger. "Rachel?"

"What?"

He looked at me curiously as I battled with the misbehaving machine, "I need your help."

I glanced at the flash drive before looking up at him, "What do you need?"

Skywarp pointed to Teletraan 1's med bay screen, "I need you to look up something for me."

I dumped the wireless from hell onto my desk and stood up, "Like?"

"I need to access protoform reformatting schematics."

I stood there looking at him in confusion until he glowered at me and motioned to his torso with one hand. "I'm in my finished protoform. Now I'd like my wings back, femme."

"What? You don't like having to walk like the rest of us?" I did not realize a mech's face could contort like that and quickly made a mental note to NOT joke with a Seeker about his wings.

"Gotcha." I sat back down and pulled the keyboard to my desktop computer over to me. I searched through Teletraan 1's medical files until I found information on protoform reformatting. Most of the designs were for battle armor, specifically ground troops. There were a handful of schematics for smaller fliers, but I got the distinct feeling that was not what Skywarp was searching for. "What am I looking for exactly?"

"Look up Guardian Flier Protoforms and put them on the screen."

I made a mock salute as I did what he asked, "Yessir!"

Skywarp walked over to the screen and frowned, "Next page, femme."

He continued his demands for flipping through the designs until the eleventh page. "Row five AA-23. Pull up the schematics."

"Yessir." I muttered as I displayed the 3-dimentional layouts up on the screen.

The black and purple Seeker scrutinized the design closely then nodded his head in agreement over his choice.

Then I witnessed one of the most amazing, and disturbing, sights ever as Skywarp scanned the heads-up display and then morphed into a sleek black and purple alien jet with broad wings. The amount of shock that must have registered on my face made him laugh as he transformed into his bipedal form with a mischievous smirk. "I look that good, huh? Nice to know I can still draw the attention of the femmes."

I gave him a level glare. "Keep dreaming. I've just never seen an airplane like that before."

"Airplane?!" There was an indignant snort, "My alternate form comes from one of Cybertron's most elite and deadliest fliers."

"If you say so." I smirked evilly, "You look like a glorified airbus to me."

"Why you little-"

The black and purple Seeker was interrupted as the med bay doors swung open and plasma cannons roared to life as Ironhide bellowed, "Intruder in the med bay!"

Ratchet came barreling out of his office and I tried to scream over the noise, "WAIT! WAIT IT'S JUST SKYWARP!"

The grouchy medic stood between the trigger-happy Weapons Specialist and the black and purple Seeker, "NOT IN MY MED BAY!"

"It's just Skywarp." I tried to explain but I was ignored completely.

The cannons whirled for a tense moment before Ironhide put them away, but he pushed past Ratchet and walked over to where Skywarp stood with his arms crossed over his new chest plate. The air was tense as the black Topkick 'examined' the Seeker. A few moments later, Ironhide snorted loudly and shook his head. "If Ah didn't know better…"

Skywarp scowled deeply, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't get yer tail feathers in a twist." The Weapons Specialist walked back to Ratchet and peered at the Seeker over his shoulder. "Yer better watch that one. He's got big aspirations if he's wantin' ta look like that."

I looked between the retreating form of Ironhide, Ratchet and Skywarp in complete confusion. "What was all that about?"

Ratchet crossed the med bay and gave Skywarp the once over. "You know I wanted you to wait on the reformat so I could supervise it."

The black and purple Seeker smirked with a snotty huff in response, "I've been without my wings for too long. Plus I need to acclimate to them before we leave for Mars."

"I still want to check your systems to make sure the reformat didn't damage any of the repairs."

The sleek black and purple wings flexed as Skywarp preened in front of us. "I should have done this a long time ago."

Ratchet attached a diagnostic monitor to the Seeker and snorted, "There wasn't enough left of you to reformat, you glitch."

"That's not what I meant." Skywarp growled at the intrusion of the monitor.

I moved to sit on the edge of my desk, watching in fascination as the 'new and improved' Skywarp fussed over where Ratchet touched his wings. "Why didn't you return to your F-15 form?"

"Because the functionality and poor design was a pain in the aft. This Cybertronian flier form allows for extreme maneuverability, grace and stealth compared to your military jets. Not to mention that we look better in our true alternate forms."

Ratchet gave Skywarp a knowing glance, "Except that's not your true form."

"No, it's not." Skywarp glowered at him, "But I didn't feel like returning to the Guardian Flier form. We're Seekers, not some glorified air security force."

Obviously, this discussion was over my head so I picked up my wireless Teletraan 1 and tried again to get the misbehaving flash drives to work properly. I didn't get very far when Wes and Will walked into the med bay carting oversized boxes on a hand trolley. I watched from my desk as they pulled the trolley over to me and set it down with a heavy thud.

Will looked at me and grinned, "Time for your training with the flight suit, Doctor Milne."

"You can call me Rachel. I only go by 'Doctor Milne' in formal situations." I glanced at the boxes, "The flight suit is in those boxes?"

"_Suits_. One suit per box."

My breath caught slightly, "Aren't those boxes a little small for a space suit?"

There was a glint of mischievous humor spreading in Will's grin. "These aren't the big bulky suits you've seen the shuttle astronauts wear, Doc- Rachel."

"Oh." I did not want to appear scared, but the cold fingers of fear slipped around my stomach and squeezed. "These 'flight suits' will protect us while on Mars?"

"And in space up to half an hour." Wes pried the lid off the first box and revealed the white and gray suit. "Top of the line made for NASA."

"Oh." They began pulling pieces out of the box and explaining about Primary Life Support Systems, Thermal Cooling Garments and internal pressurization, but all I could think about was just how Mylar, fabric and fiberglass was supposed to keep a human body safe in the vacuum of outer space.

"And Will is going with you just in case there are any problems." Wes smiled at me and patted my shoulder for comfort, "Nothing to worry about so you can focus on the information you need to gather."

Oh, yes. Nothing to worry about.

--

Five minutes after I entered Ratchet's office to put the suit on I knew I was in deep trouble. I gathered as much of the suit as I could in my arms and peeked out the door. "I think there is a problem…"

Will, Wes, and numerous other mechs in the med bay turned to look at me. Feeling super self-conscious, I blushed as I shuffled over to Will and Wes in my white and gray 'flight suit'. "Uhm. It doesn't quite… fit."

"There is a way to shorten the pants if they're too long for you, Rachel." Will looked at the excess material gathered around my ankles.

"…It's not just there." My face felt like it was on fire as I removed my arms from where I had wrapped them around my waist and the entire suit _sagged_. I knew I looked like a child who was playing dress-up in adult clothing, which was confirmed by stifled giggles from nearly everyone in the room. Wes tried to look sympathetic, but Will pulled no punches and laughed outright at me and my predicament. "Yes. Ha, ha. I'm short. It's all very funny."

"Well, there are ways to take in the suit around the ankles and wrists," Wes stepped over to me and took my arm, showing me where the suit had clamps to shorten the sleeves. "But, I'm afraid there is nothing we can do about the body, Rachel."

"Great." I sighed and glared at Will who still thought the whole situation was hilarious. "You can stop any time now."

Hiding his mirth with his fingers over his mouth, Will managed to balance one elbow on his arm and gave me an approving look. "The suit is very… becoming on you, Rachel."

With every ounce of maturity I could muster I stuck my tongue out at the giggling Captain.

"Now, now. We can remedy some of this," The ex-Secretary of Defense tried to smooth the situation over by starting to adjust the sleeves. "The prototype suits were designed to allow the wearer room to move about freely, and once the suit is pressurized and you have the Thermal Cooling liner on it should fit somewhat better."

Jetfire walked over smiling. The gentle scientist towered over us, which only belied the fact that I was that much shorter than the two military men standing next to me. "I would like to leave in two joors, will that be a sufficient amount of time for your preparations?"

Will turned his head slightly to me, "What's a 'joor'?"

"Roughly an hour."

He nodded and looked up at the giant Veritech. It was obvious that he was still in awe over the mechs. "Yeah. We'll be ready."

It dawned on me that there might be another small problem and I glanced back and forth between Will and Wes. "How long will it take to alter the suit?"

"Twenty minutes? Maybe a little longer, why?"

I looked at Will, "I just realized that you might not understand what is being said."

He cocked an eyebrow at me. "I can understand them just fine."

"Yes, for now. But that is only because they are being polite by speaking English around you. I can't play translator all the time, and we're going with two mechs who don't care if you understand them or not. Skywarp _might_ say things in English for you to understand, but Starscream will most likely speak only Cybertronian out of spite."

Will gave me an incredulous look, "So you're going to give me a crash course in Cybertronian in two… joors?"

"No. I'm going to do something better than that, if you can fix the suit while I work." I looked at Wes expecting to get a serious answer. "Is that possible?"

The ex-Secretary of Defense nodded with a smile, "We can do that."

I grabbed the waistband of the suit and started to shuffle over to my desk, "Step over into my office and we'll get to work."

--

When I tried the flight suit on again it fit much better. It was still long in the body, but I didn't feel like I was swimming inside of it anymore, plus it hadn't been pressurized yet. The boots for the suit had inflatable cushions inside of them to keep the seal between the legs and boots tight and to keep your feet warm. I stomped around in the boots making sure they fit right before having Wes secure them to the flight suit; it seemed frostbite was a slightly universal problem for humans either on Earth or in space.

Will entered the med bay from Ratchet's office looking like he was walking in from the set of 'The Right Stuff' with the flight suit helmet tucked under one arm. He grinned lopsided at Wes and I and deposited the helmet on my desk, examining my altered suit. "That looks somewhat better."

Wes stood up and dusted his hands off, "Yes, it does. You should have little problem moving around in it now, Rachel."

Before I could even express my gratitude to Wes, Will added his two cents to the situation. "Good. I wasn't looking forward to giving the Doctor a piggyback ride."

I turned slowly to glare at the grinning man, "Lets get one thing very clear, Captain: You are going on this mission for the sole reason of keeping this crazy flight suit functioning. If I told Jetfire that I don't need your help, then you would not be accompanying us."

He saluted smartly to me, but did not stop grinning. "Yes, ma'am!"

I gave him a parting glare and turned around to my desk, picking up the two earpieces. I handed one to Will and clipped mine over my ear. "This is called a 'Cyber Babelfish'. It will translate any Earthen language and Cybertronian. As long as you wear it, which I recommend you keep it on at all times, you will be able to understand what is being said. It also has a tracer beacon so we will be able to locate you if we are separated."

He clipped the earpiece over his ear and turned it on, "How do I know if this thing works?"

"It works." I slung my new wireless Teletraan 1 over my shoulder. "Go ask Ironhide to tell you some of his war stories if you want proof."

He fumbled with the positioning of the earpiece, "What about them understanding what I'm saying?"

"You think they care about what comes out of your mouth?" I smirked evilly. "It will translate what you say into Cybertronian. The Cyber Babelfish actually works better than trying to learn Cybertronian. Their language has hundreds of nuances and gradations that the human voice is unable to produce naturally."

Will peered at me strangely, "But you said you can speak it fluently."

"I can," The med bay doors opened and I heard the distinct hum of Jazz's internal systems. "If you need anything else for the mission, I suggest you get it now. Excuse me."

I ran over to Jazz and smiled, modeling the 'improved' flight suit for him. "Does it meet with your approval?"

"No. Are y' sure this is safe?" It wasn't displeasure, but fear in his normally melodic voice. If someone were watching us closely they might notice his forced smile, but I could tell. I could actually _feel_ his worry and fear as if his emotions were flowing off of him and _through_ me like waves in a still pond. It was disconcerting to experience such a strong emotion from him. Love was an immensely potent and vibrant emotion that we would bask in, but the hesitancy and shaking dread that I could feel as if I was experiencing it myself was so completely foreign. I am very familiar with how my own panic wells up and what it feels like, but to feel anxiety coming from Jazz...

I tried to push the emotion away and look confident for him even though I also questioned the safety of the modified suit. "Wes and Will said it's safe, and Will is going with me just in case I have trouble moving around while I work."

His response was to scoop me up in his hands and lift me to optic level. I pressed my head against his forehead and peered deeply into his gleaming azure visor. "Everything will be all right, Jazz. I promise."

"Y' listen t' Jetfire and Ironhide and do exactly what they tell y' t' do."

I nodded, "I will."

"And y' keep y're distance around Starscream. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him."

I smiled lightly at him, "But I've seen you toss Skywarp pretty far."

"Rach…"

"What if I have to puke?"

"Rachel."

My attempts at levity didn't ease his worry. "I promise to stay away from the yucky evil Seekers."

"Pay attention t' the area around y' at all times. I don't trust that 'suit' t' stay in one piece if y' slip or fall."

I nodded again. "I'll be doing that anyways so I don't end up crushed under a distracted scientist's foot."

"And don't go wanderin' off by y'reself."

I ran my fingers in a hopefully soothing manner over his cheek, "Jazz. I will be okay."

There was a slight tremor in his hands and the confidence I was trying to portray for him melted away. I had never seen Jazz without his normally chipper and cocky attitude and it frightened me. I kept smiling even though I am certain that he could tell it was a forced grin; I did not want to telegraph the fear that was flooding my stomach or the tightness of its grasp. My desire to go on this mission was fading fast. Staying on the Ark with him would be so easy to say 'yes' to, but Jetfire needed my help. Actually, the whole Earth needed me if I could help figure out why the Allspark was moving. Fighting back my own trepidation, I placed my hand under his chin and drew his face up slightly to mine, "Smile for me, Jazz?"

He chuckled and I received a faint smile. "Usin' my own tactics against me, huh?"

"I will if it earns me one of your smiles." I placed a playful kiss on his nose.

His smile faded quickly, "But I can't put y' back together if somethin' happens t' y' on Mars…" He turned my own tactics back on me - I always told Jazz every time he left for a mission or a battle that I'd put him back together no matter what, he just had to come back to me alive.

I tried to turn the tables to my favor, but it sounded more like I was trying to convince myself. "It's a short trip and we'll be back in a few hours. I have my new wireless, so you can talk my ears off while you're stuck in Communications. And I'll need your help if my mini Teletraan 1 isn't working properly, especially with the Cybertronian hieroglyphics. And you can help keep me calm while we're flying, and if Starscream gives us any trouble I'll threaten to throw up on him. That should be a great laugh, right?"

Jazz's frown remained, so I pressed my forehead to his again. "I never want to leave your side if I can help it, Jazz. But my planet could die if we can't figure out why the Allspark is moving. Jetfire needs my help for this."

He nodded and a small twinkle glittered in his azure visor, "Who would have thought that my shy Rachel would break free of her shell and take on the universe?"

"Definitely not Rachel." I giggled softly and ran my fingers down the side of his face. "I'll be back before you know it."

Jetfire's footfalls announced his presence, though he kept a respectful distance as to not intrude. "We're ready when you are, Rachel."

I turned my head slightly to answer him, "I'm ready."

The Veritech walked away and I returned my attention on Jazz. "You know I love you, right?"

"I know…"

"Then trust in that and in me." I nuzzled his face and smiled. "Every thing will be fine."

I stole a final kiss from Jazz before he handed me over to Ironhide who had already picked up Will. Normally, I dislike being picked up and carried about by the others as if I was not able to walk anywhere by myself. But I was in the company of two of the larger Autobots and Ironhide had the 'my way or the highway' attitude. I waved to Jazz and activated my new earpiece by initiating an open link between us. _"Love you."_

"_I love y', too, Rach."_

--

Love it? Hate it? Let me know!

--

DC loves her reviewers and she is very sorry that she wasn't able to answer everyone this time around, but I promise to do better!

--

The Cybertronian Guardian Fliers are air patrols that soar over Iacon and most of the other major cities on Cybertron. Thundercracker used to spend hours watching them pass overhead when he was a youngling.

'The Right Stuff' is a book and movie about the test pilots who were involved in aeronautical research at Edward Air Force Base and the pilots that were selected to be a part of the Mercury program, which was the US's first attempt at manned space flight.

'Gran Turismo' is a Playstation racing game. It has an ungodly car selection and according to GameSpot 'has fetishtistic attention to vehicle detail'. Seemed like an appropriate game for our favorite Lamborghinis and Ferrari to play.


	18. Chapter 18 Communications Breakdown

A/N: At long last, I updated. Everyone is searching for answers to the questions they face, be it on an alien planet, on Cybertron, on the Ark, in our dreams... And the future? And we finally meet... Looks like you will have to read the story to find out!

As always, constructive criticism is welcomed, reviews are given much love. And I appreciate everyone being so patient with me!

Story Arc 8

**Chapter 18 – Communications Breakdown**

Thundercracker had not been back to the small Neutral town where he had taken up short-term residence for a few days. He had been following leads about people who worked with the Xeno-archaeology department before the destruction of the Academies, hoping to find someone who might know what was behind that door in the Library, but his search was far from fruitful. Many of the leading scientists had been killed in the bombings; the rest either went into hiding under assumed aliases or joined the Autobot forces. The handful he had found that were willing to give him a little information would only say that some of the objects behind the door were brought back to Cybertron from a dead world in the Deneb System.

It had been a long flight back to the Neutral town and he only wanted to have a nice relaxing drink and review the information he collected, but from the moment his feet touched the street Thundercracker _knew_ something was wrong. Usually the area was a bustling hive of mechs getting off from work, but today everyone kept their heads down and shied away from him. Something had the residents spooked badly. _Decepticon sweeps probably came through the town_, he thought to himself, but he turned his sensors on high alert just in case. If there were danger in the area, he would find it before it found him.

The bar was unusually empty, save a couple of mechs at the counter and a booth. He opted to sit at the counter instead of his usual corner, and it was painfully obvious how unnerved the bartender was when she set his high-grade down in front of him.

Leaning in close, she whispered to him, "Those mechs in the booth have been asking about you, TC."

"Oh? Like what?" Thundercracker hid his words behind a sip from his cube.

"Like when you're here, if you come alone and if I know where you're staying at," Her hands shook as she scrubbed at an invisible stain on the counter.

He checked the muted reflection of the booth on the wall behind the bar. "I'll take care of them. Do you have a way out of here for yourself if things get ugly?"

"Yeah," She rubbed at the stain harder. "There are people nearby that can help. But, this bar is all I have, TC. If I lose it..."

"I'll get them outside if they try anything. Just keep your optics open and get out at the first sign of trouble. Okay?" His radar pinged as the three mechs stood up, "You should go check on your other patrons, Luna."

She gave him a fear-filled nod and hurried to the other end of the counter.

Thundercracker did not look up from his cube as one of the mechs sat down in the bar stool next to him while the others stood directly behind his wings. _Groundpounders_. He wanted to laugh out loud at their idiotic attempt to box him in like that. Did they really believe they had even the smallest chance in a fight with him?

The smarmy mech that sat down beside him gave him an oily smirk. "Thundercracker, my old friend! How have you been?"

"We did business once, Swindle. That does not make us friends."

The purple-visored mech leaned casually on the bar and steepled his fingers, "True. But now would be an excellent time for us to become friends. Really good friends, as a matter of fact."

Thundercracker lifted his cube and took a bored sip, "And why is that?"

"You haven't heard?" A mischievous flicker danced across Swindle's greasy smile, "There's a hefty bounty on your head. Seems Megatron doesn't like his senior officers going AWOL."

The dark blue Seeker snorted loudly, "AWOL, huh? Nice try, Swindle. Tell me another one."

"I'm telling the truth, my winged friend," Swindle pulled a data pad out of his subspace and slid it over for him to see. "Six million credits for your capture and return to Shockwave. Alive. Considering how bad the Cybertronian economy is right now, that's too tempting of an offer to go unnoticed."

"Is that why you're here, Swindle? A few credits for an officer that isn't hiding from his lack of duties?" He didn't bother to look at the smarmy mech as he pushed the data pad back, "If Shockwave wanted me back at Decepticon Headquarters that badly he'd just have one of his patrols pick me up."

"But he didn't. And now we have this highly attractive bounty for one Decepticon Lieutenant Air Commander, issued and signed by Shockwave himself." Swindle laced his fingers together, "So, tell me Thundercracker. Do you feel safe being alone and friendless in this Neutral pit without the rest of your trine?"

"So out of the goodness of your spark, you decided to track me down and 'offer' me your friendship?" He laughed and took a swig from his cube, "You should win 'Mech Of The Year' for such kindness."

"I am not joking, Thundercracker," Swindle's smile disappeared. "Your life is at stake and you're not taking this seriously. Do you have any idea how many bounty hunters and persons of ill-repute wander Cybertron's cities?"

"And I'm sure you know most of them," Thundercracker cycled an annoyed huff of air through his intakes.

Swindle put his hand on his arm, "You need friends that you can rely on, Thundercracker. Friends that will take care of you. That will protect you, if need be."

Thundercracker growled and flicked the intruding appendage away from him in disgust, "Don't touch me, groundpounder."

The smarmy mech backed off, holding his hands up in a non-threatening position, "No need for name calling, my friend."

He was quickly losing patience, "Okay, Swindle. I'll be your 'friend'. What do I get out of our 'friendship'?"

"Are you insinuating that I want something from you to cement our friendship, TC? Swindle mocked being offended, "Mind if I call you TC? Because I thought true friends looked out for each other."

Crossing his arms over his chest plate, Thundercracker turned to face Swindle and nearly smacked one of his silent goons with his right wing. "That's exactly what I'm insinuating. What do you want?"

The oily smile returned, "Well, now that you mention it TC, I wouldn't mind more of that neucleon. You have no idea how surprised I was when you gave me that entire canister for a simple trinket. I never knew a mech of your position had access to it."

"Neucleon for your friendship?" Thundercracker laughed, "That doesn't seem to be a very fair trade to me. Slag, I could pay a drone a handful of credits to be my best friend and I'd be absolutely certain that he wouldn't, oh say… stab me in the back for a bag of energon goodies."

"My friendship is worth more than energon goodies, TC. I could protect you! Keep people from stabbing you in the back! Keep the bounty hunters at bay! All that for just more of the neucleon."

Thundercracker turned back to the bar and picked up his energon cube, "So you're offering me protection in the guise of friendship."

Swindle's visor flashed maliciously, "What else are friends for?"

Thundercracker took a long drink from his cube. "Get lost, Swindle."

There was the briefest moment of surprise before the smarmy mech was able to school his features. "Aww, TC! Don't be like this. We could be good friends. Great friends, even."

The dark blue Seeker scoffed, "I don't need 'protection' from a couple of lowlife groundpounders."

"I'd think carefully about this before I'd make any rash decisions, Thundercracker. An offer of my friendship only comes once-"

A black hand shot out quickly, knocking Swindle off his stool and sprawling across the floor. Blood red optics flashed dangerously, "What part of 'get lost' did you not understand?"

"Have it your way, Thundercracker. I'd keep a wide optic on my back, if I was you." Glaring daggers, Swindle stood up, " It would be a real shame if you or your little fan club got... hurt."

He didn't take his optics off of Swindle or his silent goons until they fully exited the bar. He knew he would see them again before the night was over. Swindle probably had the bar under surveillance all day and already had a trap set in place for him.

Six million credits for his return to Decepticon Headquarters. Why would Shockwave set up a bounty for him when he could have simply contacted him? There was only one way to find out for certain. "Thundercracker to Shockwave. Respond."

All he received was dead air.

_Come on, you one-optic freak._ "Thundercracker to Shockwave. Respond."

He was jostled out of his attempt to communicate with Decepticon Headquarters by a dark blue mech who drunkenly stumbled into him. Thundercracker growled and tried to push the mech away, "Watch where you're going!"

The mech fumbled at the counter as he tried to haul himself to his feet all the while grinning madly at him. He pointed with a wobbly finger at the Decepticon insignia on his wings and made a mock salute. Scowling, Thundercracker tried shooing him away but the inebriated mech slid something across the counter that landed next to his drink. Thundercracker glanced between his drink and the still saluting mech curiously. Nodding his head once, the drunken mech stumbled toward the end of the bar where another mech shot him a knowing smirk.

The object was a small message card and Thundercracker glanced back at the mechs before he activated it. _"You take care of Swindle. We'll take care of everything else."_ An Autobot insignia flashed at the end of the message and then the card sizzled as its memory chip fried.

Thundercracker turned to glare at the two Autobots at the bar, but they had disappeared. _Great, I'm being watched from all sides._

He drained the rest of his cube and set a few credits down on the counter; the barkeep was nowhere to be seen and, hopefully, her Autobot friends had made sure she was safe. Thundercracker stood up and stretched his wings. _Might as well get this over with now_. He walked out of the bar and into the completely empty street and swept the area with his sensors. There were a handful of people just barely inside his sensor range, but they weren't moving. Just as he had figured, Swindle had set up a trap. He hadn't seen any real fighting since he had returned to Cybertron, but as he walked at a leisurely pace down the street he made sure his weapons systems were charged and online. The greasy trader probably had a bunch of armed thugs at his disposal; maybe a handful of bounty hunters who knew the ins and outs of catching elusive prey, but he was _certain_ that they were in a big surprise for messing with a Seeker.

A shadow scurried out of the edge of his vision with a soft clatter and Thundercracker smiled at the silly attempt to bait him into looking towards the noise.

_You want to play, huh? Lets play then. _Continuing his casual pace, he turned left into a side alley and chuckled at the sound of footsteps that followed him.

"This is exactly what I meant when I was talking about needing friends, TC," Swindle grinned icily as he stepped out of the shadows with his two goons.

Thundercracker smirked, "We both know that you would have sold me out to Shockwave the moment my back was turned."

Swindle shrugged as half a dozen well-armed mechs materialized from the shadows, "Six million credits is too tempting to turn down."

The dark blue Seeker's grin took on a wicked twist as he held up one hand and beckoned the other mechs to 'bring it'. "Too bad that it's not going to be enough to pay your medical costs."

The sounds of multiple weapons firing in a shootout rang out through the streets before one single solitary sonic boom shook the area. Thundercracker walked out of the alley dusting his hands off. _Not even worth the effort_, he thought as he walked back to the room he rented. He doubted Swindle would try to come after him again tonight, but he would need to keep an optic open for any more bounty hunters or Autobots that were watching him.

--

He was unaware of the condition of the small system until the boomerang shaped ship exited the strained light from the Warpgate. Clawed hands gripped at the control panels as ripples of shock raged through his body. He knew he was working against time, but he did not realize how close this race would be.

"Show me," his voice was barely a whisper as the optical monitor spread out in front of him, dividing like cells in mitosis until the screen revealed the entire system. He bit back a gasp as he surveyed the area, glancing between a screen of scrolling information on the system and the view he beheld on the monitors; this relatively young system should not have changed this much. There should not have been so much… missing.

"Are they here?"

A detailed map of the inner planets was brought to the main screen as a musical disembodied voice filled the room, "Presence confirmed. Two locations: one in stable orbit around third planet, the other nearing fourth planet. Shall I make contact?"

"No. Not yet. Scan for viable harmonizing radiation."

There was a pause as the ship ran the scans and he held his breath in the failing hope that what he was feeling was wrong. A smaller screen that divided from the optical monitor averred his worst fear.

"Two signals detected: one on third planet shows numerous life signs, one on fourth planet in final stages of extinction. Initiating inter-solar tesseract jump, now."

He shut his eyes and bowed his head as if in prayer and sent out a short telepathic message throughout the system. _I am here._

--

The stare down of the millennium was occurring inside Jetfire's cargo bay when Starscream opened the comlink to his wingmate. _"Wake up."_

He received the painful sound of unending boredom from Skywarp, _"I am awake, 'Screamer."_

_"You could have fooled me since you're slouching in such an undignified manner."_ He sighed over the comlink, _"Once we get the information from this planet's sources, I want you to keep the other Autobots busy while I disable Jetfire. Then we can return to Cybertron to search for TC without any Autobot interference."_

The black and purple Seeker shifted and tried to be vaguely interested in the heated show off, _"Why?"_

_"What do you mean why?"_ Starscream did not twitch an aileron, but his voice was thick with his trademark snarky tone.

A martyred sigh answered, "_Why disable him?"_

The red Seeker's words were heavily clipped. _"... So. They. Won't. Follow. Us."_

Skywarp's optics went out of focus, _"Why? The Autobot ship can't travel as fast as we can and Jetfire won't put Rachel and the other human in danger just to pursue us. Think about it, 'Screamer. The Autobots are more concerned about what is happening on Earth with that Allspark. They're not going to follow us."_

Starscream scowled, _"They interfered with the artifact on Earth."_

There was an abrupt change from Skywarp's bored tone to one sharp and pointed. _"They wouldn't have interfered if you hadn't told them about it."_

_"It's their fault that it was destroyed!"_

_"It wouldn't have been destroyed if you hadn't told them!"_ Skywarp glared heatedly at Starscream from the corner of his optics, _"If you hadn't decided to 'compare notes' with Jetfire, I never would have been smeared like an oil stain across the ground when Megatron decided to blow up the artifact!"_

The stark reminder that Skywarp was nearly killed kept Starscream from verbally retaliating.

The black and purple Seeker powered down his optics and leaned back against Jetfire's hull, _"Now unless you want to complain and try to blame someone else for your screw up, I am going to try and get some recharge. Wake me when we get there."_

--

Had I known what I was getting myself into on this mission, I probably would have declined the invitation and stayed back on the Ark. _"This is going to be one long ride."_

"_Y' could have stayed here wit' me, Rach."_

"_I'm wishing I had stayed."_

Will walked into Jetfire's cockpit and slumped down in one of the oversized seats with a loud sigh, "Are we there yet?"

I turned my head to look at him, "Does it look like it?"

"No, but, I can't stay back there with them." He glanced back at the cargo bay. "Antarctica in the middle of winter is warmer than back there."

"My environmental controls are reading a constant 68° Fahrenheit," Jetfire's disembodied voice filled the air.

"I didn't mean temperature cold," Will looked at Jetfire's control panel. "They're just sitting there _staring_ at each other. They aren't talking. They're not moving. It's hard to tell if they're even _alive_."

I peeked over my shoulder at the inhabitants of the cargo bay and smirked. Will was right, the tension back there was heavy and frigid. Ironhide sat on one side of the bay with his massive arms crossed over his chest plate, while Sideswipe and Bluestreak sat strangely quiet next to him - all three were poised and looked ready to pounce on the Seekers if given the chance.

Starscream glared at them from across the cargo bay with a cold sneer plastered over his face, silently challenging any of them to say or do anything. Skywarp may have been scowling at one point, but now he only looked bored with his optics half-glazed over as if he was moments away from falling into recharge. Wheeljack seemed to be the only one not concerned with the tension ready to boil over as he idly flipped through a data pad.

"They seem normal to me." Will gave me an incredulous look and I shrugged, "How would you react if you had to work with your enemies? And we're not even half-way through our trip."

He just shook his head, "This is going to be one long-assed trip."

I nodded and went back to quietly talking to Jazz through our own private channel and studying the hieroglyphics. With my newly constructed wireless Teletraan 1, I didn't need to know what each glyph represented, but I wanted to be an asset to Jetfire and not the hindrance that Starscream insisted I was.

Once again, I wondered how the gentle scientist was ever able to stand being around, let alone work with, that horribly snarky Seeker. Jetfire was infinitely patient and Starscream… Well, the words 'Starscream' and 'patient' did not belong in the same sentence together. Yet, that wasn't entirely fair for me to say – Jetfire had told me that Starscream had changed so much since their days at the Academy together.

If the war had changed the Seekers that much, then how much had the war affected the Autobots? I looked back over my shoulder again at the others: the Seekers, the Twins, Bluestreak, and Bumblebee were young according to Cybertronian standards – what would they have been like if the war had not happened? How much had Jazz changed because of the war… I wanted to ask him, but I didn't think Jazz would appreciate Will and Jetfire listening in on our conversation.

Then I realized that there were things I still did not know about Jazz – like what he did before the war or what he wanted to do if there had not been a war. Granted, if the war had not occurred, we never would have met. And Jazz knew almost everything about me and my life, yet, he was still a mystery to me. Some things he could not tell me, and I had accepted that as part of what he had to do, but some things I should have asked about.

"_Y're quiet all of a sudden, Rach. Somethin' wrong?" _

I smiled at the sound of his voice, _"Just thinking about some things."_

"_Like?"_

A sudden burst of static across the mini Teletraan 1's screen interrupted my thoughts. Scowling, I flicked the screen with my fingers in an attempt to clear it. _"Hang on a sec, Jazz. My wireless is acting funny."_

"Something wrong with your solitaire game?"

I turned to glare mildly at Will, "Why don't you count the stars if you're that bored?"

He ignored me and slid across the large seat to peer over my shoulder, "What are you doing, anyway?"

"I'm reviewing the hieroglyphics we found on Earth," I turned the wireless slightly so he could see the screen. "We found them on the Pyramids of the Sun and Moon at Teotihuacán just outside of Mexico City."

"What are they for?"

"It seems to be a doomsday prophecy, of sorts." I pointed out the glyphs as I read them. "'_At the end of time…the greatest twelve must come together and fight…the keys lie within and the guide awaits those who seek…if they should fail…the stars shall spin fast and the great eye of chaos will open and turn all lands into ash… the twelve must prevail over chaos.' _There was a part about Mars and a star chart on the artifact as well."

Another wave of static filled the screen and I smacked the side of the wireless Teletraan 1 in irritation, _"Jazz? You still there?_"

"Is something wrong, Rachel?" Jetfire's calm voice filled the cockpit.

"I keep losing the signal to the Ark." I rummaged around in my bag that held some extra flash drives, my digital camera, and some various sundry items until I found my multipurpose tool. "I rushed getting it ready, and obviously I didn't get something connected properly."

"You could use my systems if you like."

I laughed lightly and blushed, "Thank you, Jetfire, but I doubt that you would appreciate listening to Jazz and I talk."

His disembodied voice chuckled, "True. As much as I like you both as friends, I do not want to be privy to your personal conversations."

"So, uh," Will glanced at me. "You and the Special Ops guy?"

"Jazz." I did not look up at him as I popped the case for the wireless open, but I had a feeling as to where this conversation was going.

"Jazz. You and him are an… item?"

It was hard to conceal a smile as I checked the connections on the motherboard, "You could say that."

Will was silent for a moment, but I could tell he wanted to ask more about it. "How does… that work? You're a human and he's an…"

"A giant alien robot?" I lifted my head to peer at him, "What about it?"

"Well, uhm…" He gestured with his hands as if they could pluck the words out of the air.

I gave him a level look, "Have you ever been in love, Will?"

"Yes, but-"

"Love has no boundaries." I turned back to the bare internals of my mini Teletraan.

"Rachel. I do not believe your wireless is malfunctioning," Jetfire's voice broke into our strained conversation. "I have lost all contact with the Ark."

I dropped the pieces of my mini Teletraan 1 in my lap. "Huh? How? Did we pass through the solar wind, or maybe a flare?"

"All of my diagnostics are normal and outside scans are not reading any variance in radiation levels."

"Are we still on course?" I stood up on the large seat and peered at the console.

"According to my readings, we are still on course and ahead of schedule." Jetfire sounded as calm as ever.

Icy fingers of panic wrapped around my stomach. "Do you think the Ark was attacked?"

"I don't know. My long-range scanners are unable to locate the Ark, but I am intercepting radio signals from the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. And… how curious."

Will stood up alongside of me and looked at Jetfire's console. "What's curious?"

"I am not receiving any signals from Earth either." The normally calm and cool tone to Jetfire's voice had disappeared. "It's as if something has blocked all forms of radio communications coming from Earth."

I did not like where this conversation was going. "You think the Decepticons are behind this?"

"Doubtful. But we can ask Starscream if he knows anything about this."

"Knows something about what?" Snarkiness personified loomed over Jetfire's seats.

I grabbed my wireless Teletraan 1 and pulled Will out of Starscream's way as the snotty Seeker sat down in the seat we had been occupying.

Jetfire's heads-up display blinked to life. "I've lost communications with the Ark."

"Oh, what a shame," Sarcasm dripped from Starscream's words as he tapped on the display. "Your precious Autobot friends can't come to help you if something goes wrong."

Jetfire's disembodied voice showed no reaction to Starscream's attitude, "I am also not receiving any radio signals from Earth. Other than the rovers on Mars, we are in a complete communication blackout."

I looked up at Starscream, "Do you think Megatron is behind this?"

He shot me a nasty scowl then went back to studying the display, "No. There isn't a Decepticon left on Earth that is intelligent enough to design something to block out communications. Most likely we have passed through a coronal mass ejection and the subsequent radiation has disrupted his sensors."

"There hasn't been any change in radiation since we left the Ark, and diagnostics of my systems report optimal performance."

"Nonsense," Starscream began typing on the display. "You do not stop receiving communications from just one direction. Your sensor array must be malfunctioning."

"I assure you that my sensors are working," Jetfire's ever-patient tone tried to convince the red Seeker otherwise with no effect.

"Then you're doing this on purpose," Starscream grumbled as he reached under Jetfire's console and opened a panel. "Don't expect me to be gentle while I find the problem with your diagnostics and scanners."

I watched in horror as the red Seeker grabbed a handful of cables from the open panel. "Jetfire, are you sure this is a good idea?"

He chuckled and Starscream threw me a dirty look. "I trust him implicitly, Rachel. I know he wouldn't damage me on purpose."

Ruby red optics narrowed and Starscream stopped yanking the cables apart. A pained sigh escaped from his intakes and he pulled a field medics' scanner out of subspace, "Have you input your flight path?"

"Yes. I designed this flight path on the day we found the harmonizing radiation signatures. All of my long-range scans still reveal near-ideal flight conditions to Mars and our planned touchdown area on the Cydonia Mensae by the D&M Pyramid. There is a thirty-nine-percent chance for a dust storm with gusts up to forty kliks-per-joor. There has not been a change in atmospheric pressure since we left the Ark and the temperature has remained a constant 18 solar-joules. Other than the lack of communications, we should have no foreseeable problems and arrive in two-point-six joors."

Starscream sighed loudly and carefully traced the connections to Jetfire's sensors, "We'll see if your assumed calculations are correct. I wouldn't be surprised if we're headed in the opposite direction with your scanners offline."

One very long flight, indeed.

--

The doors to the Ark's bridge opened swiftly and determined footsteps announced the arrival of an irritated Ratchet. He stopped next to Jazz at Communications and waved for Optimus Prime to join them. He held a tiny device slightly smaller than a message card for them to see, "Please tell me this isn't what I think it is."

Jazz carefully took the device and scanned it, "Well, it isn't a fancy paperweight if that's what y're worried about. Where did y'd find it?"

Ratchet crossed his arms over his chest plate with a scowl, "Jacked into Cliffjumper's backup systems. The energon poisoning damaged relays on his CPU. It will be awhile before I get everything flushed."

"There should be a couple lines of source code that look innocuous. Most likely embedded wit'in a secondary system." Jazz prodded a tiny bundle of wires on the device, "Might contain some type of long-range override protocols."

"Already found them and sent them over to Red Alert. He's having a fit that I didn't scan Cliffjumper when he was first brought back to base." Ratchet snorted, "Trying to explain to that mech that some things aren't always seen by the scanners on a preliminary glance…"

"Do you think our security has been breached, Jazz?" There wasn't a hint of worry in the deep baritone tone of Optimus Prime's voice, but it was underlined in the question.

"Doubt it. I'd be worried if he wasn't in stasis." The saboteur looked up at Ratchet, "Y've still got him under watch?"

"Yes. What kind of doctor would I be if I let an injured mech wander around freely? Especially with the severe energon poisoning that Cliffjumper has."

"Are we being recorded right now?" Optimus peered at the device from over Jazz's shoulder.

Jazz turned the device over in his hand and pointed to a tiny lens. "I'd say yes." He cocked a smile and waved, "Hello in there!"

Optimus Prime glanced between Ratchet and Jazz, "Do you think the Decepticons are behind this?"

"There ain't a 'Con left on Earth that could make something like this. Now if Soundwave or the Constructicons were still functional." Jazz paused for a moment with a frown, "Or Shockwave."

The Autobot leader looked at Ratchet directly, "Is there any way to ask Cliffjumper who did this?"

The medic shook his head, "Not for awhile. His systems are still compromised and I don't dare bring him online without cleaning them up."

"Wit' y're permission, Optimus?" Jazz casually threw the device up in the air.

"Be my guest."

In one swift movement, Jazz caught and crushed the device. "Problem solved."

A warning light flashed to life on Teletraan 1, which immediately caught the attention of all three mechs. Jazz's fingers glided over the console swiftly, "Incoming message from Cybertron. It's usin' the latest security codes."

"Put it on the main screen."

The image of a blue and white mech saluting crackled to life on Teletraan 1's main screen, "Good to see you, Optimus!"

The Autobot leader saluted him back with a warm familiarity coloring his voice, "Good to see you, too, Ultra Magnus."

The signal wavered in and out in waves of abrupt static marring the mech's visage, "As much as I wish this were a social call, Optimus –brrzzz –But we've received information –brrzzz Thundercracker. Seems Shockwave has issued –brrzzz –bounty for the Seeker's return to –brrzzz headquarters. We've had him –brrzzz under surveillance since –brrzzz –direct contact with agents and –brrzzz –Neutral territory –brrzzz –searching for something –brrzzz –scientists in Praxus –brrzzz."

Jazz glanced up at Optimus, "We've lost the transmission."

"Any way to reconnect?"

"I could try and use Jetfire's communication system t' bounce our transmission… Wait." Jazz frowned as he typed, his systems hitching suddenly and his naturally cool demeanor disappeared, "I've lost contact with Rachel and Jetfire."

Optimus Prime sat down in front of the scanner console, "How far out were they before we lost radio contact?"

"Seventy-million kliks was the last readings I received from Rachel." There was no melodic tone to Jazz's voice, only a cold and calculated edge that made Prowl seem warm in comparison.

The Autobot leader's brow furrowed as the results from the scanner scrolled down the screen, "They are not appearing on long-range scanners."

Ratchet scowled as he leaned over Optimus's shoulder, "How quickly can we get to their position?"

Jazz's fingers flew over the keyboard rapidly, "Couple of joors, but I think we might have a bigger problem than that…"

"What is it, Jazz?" Kindly, but worried, optics glanced over to the Communications screen.

"We've lost all communications. Even from Earth. We're in a complete blackout."

--

_He opened his optics to find himself in the middle of a large party with crystals cube of golden energon in his hands. Where am I?_

_A familiar voice behind him blew the fog from his processors and he turned to see Starscream and Optimus Prime laughing. He looked at the three cubes of energon – he had offered to get them something to drink. Weaving in and out of the crowd carefully, he finally made it in time to hear Starscream launch into the details of his latest project. He handed one cube to Optimus and threatened to drink the one he retrieved for Starscream, "I'm not drunk enough to listen to another lecture about space barnacles, 'Screamer."_

"_They are not space barnacles," A martyred sigh flushed from the red Seeker's intakes. "As I was saying, the sulfur crustaceans show signs of an organized social hierarchy-"_

_He interrupted the conversation and looked pleadingly at Optimus Prime, "Do you see what I have to deal with constantly?"_

_Rich, baritone laughter belied the humor of the situation just as Jetfire joined the group, "Good evening, Optimus." The Veritech shook hands with Optimus Prime, "Did you see the latest readings from our control group, Starscream? The control group is now mimicking Group A's building structures..."_

_Just what he needed - another voice joining in on the boring cacophony, "I think I hear another cube of energon that is begging to be drank."_

_On his way to the table where the service drones were filling cubes, he caught a glimpse of something strange across the room and his curiosity was instantly piqued. Maneuvering through the party again, he found the source of his interest at a far table laughing with a handful of mechs that looked vaguely familiar. The fragile looking creature's outer covering was red and it did not have any body armor that he could see. __It was fascinating to look at and he found it difficult to quit staring. Whatever it was, it strangely… alluring. The creature turned and looked at him, returning his stare with a curious one of its own. It then smiled and he noticed its murky purple optics were wet and just as fragile looking as the creature was. They were odd but somewhat familiar…_

_Wait. That creature is not a '_what_', but a '_who_'. And somehow, he knew who she was. He lifted his energon cube up to her and smiled. Aliens visiting from the nearby systems weren't unheard of here; he must have seen her over at the Science Academy or something. _

_The sound of a massive explosion ruptured the air followed by a violent ground-shaking quake. The party stopped and a deathly silence filled the entire room. Tense moments passed until Optimus' strong baritone voice cut through the hushed air, "It was probably a core tremor. There's nothing to worry about." _

_No, this was not right. It was not a core tremor and he knew it. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. And the feelings of déjà vu were spark-wrenching deep. He locked optics with the small alien as if searching for the answers through her… And then he was hit with intense clarity. Everything was familiar because he _had_ been here before – _and he knew what was going to happen.

_Pushing his way through the crowds, he called out for Optimus Prime. _"We've got to get out of here now!"

_Kindly blue optics peered at the highly agitated Seeker. "What is wrong, Skywarp?"_

_Before he could open his mouth, another blast shook the building. "You have to order a planet wide evacuation now!"_

"_It's just a core tremor -"_

"_NO! IT'S NOT!!" He shouted for full emphasis. "We have to leave Cybertron right now!"_

_Starscream gently took his arm, "You've obviously had way too much to drink, 'Warp."_

"_I'm not over-energized!" He shook off Starscream's hand and glared at the others until another moment of pure clarity hit him. He thrust a shaking finger at the windows. "Look outside! Next major conjunction is what, in eighty vorns?"_

_Starscream and Jetfire turned just in time to watch the planets align. Except it wasn't just the planets that fell into a conjunction: Cybertron's moons eclipsed and sent an eerie shadow across Iacon. Two sets of blue and one pair of violet optics looked at him, "How did you-"_

"_It doesn't matter anymore! We failed! And now we have to leave before it's too late!!" He rounded on Optimus Prime. "Please! You have to get everyone out of here! They'll listen to you!"_

_Lightning exploded in the air like a hot energon blade through titanium sheeting, as the skies above Cybertron were ripped open. Something angular and black as the Pit exited through the rift and sent a burst of searing yellow energy into the blue sun. The surface of the star expanded abruptly then began to collapse in on itself. Immense solar flares punctured the layers of Cybertron's atmosphere and vaporized the air into plasma and ozone. The doomed star began to spin rapidly, furiously ejecting its stellar matter from both of its magnetic poles into the system in blinding flashes of explosive energy. In a matter of nano-seconds, the blue star was dark, its core now cold and empty, leaving just the misshapen metal remnants from its final fusion burn behind._

_It was a ship, a large ship, that was leaving the rift and now attacking the planet, sending core-shattering pulses of energy deep into Cybertron's crust. The deep baritone voice of Optimus Prime resounded over the city and through countless communication lines. "This is not a drill. I am ordering a planet wide evacuation. Report to the nearest shuttle depot and head for Coeliaxis. I repeat: This is a mandatory planet wide evacuation. Report to the nearest shuttle depot and head to Coeliaxis. This is not a drill."_

_Panic filled the room as everyone rushed for the doors. Thundercracker suddenly appeared with the golden winged femme and he bellowed at the top of his vocalizer. "Make some room!" His hands barely touched the glass and it shattered as he focused a sonic boom into the material, instantly making more room for the fleeing crowd._

"_Head for Coeliaxis!" Optimus Prime ushered everyone through the newly made exit. "Starscream! You lead the fliers off planet! We'll meet up there!"_

_The red Seeker nodded and started to push everyone with wings out through the destroyed windows. "Already sent the message to the Guardian fliers!"_

_In a detached haze, he watched himself from the outside as he helped sending mechs and femmes into the air. Familiar faces flashed by him in a distorted fog. People he recognized. People who should not be here. People who should be dead…_

_Then he heard her scream. Abruptly turning to the sound of her cries, he caught a glimpse of her; her arms were over her head, cowering in the middle of the room as people ran past. One wrong step by the fleeing crowd and she would be killed._

_Two sets of strong hands grabbed his arms and pulled him to the window. " Come on 'Warp!" He looked upwards at the violent lightning raining down on the planet as the femme screamed again. He couldn't leave her here to die._

_He yanked his arms free of his wingmates grasps and dove through the crowd, scooping the crying femme up in his hands. Starscream and Thundercracker were already in the air and heading into the stratosphere as he transformed and tucked the femme inside his body._

"_Skywarp! What's going on?!" She shrieked, trembling inside his cockpit._

"_We have to get out of here, Rachel!" Even his voice sounded strained over the roar of his engines as he over taxed them to exit the heated atmosphere._

"_What about Jazz!?" She thrashed in his seat trying to look out the canopy._

"_We don't have time to get him! We have to leave NOW!" _

_A final sub-sonic push and they were speeding away from the attack on Cybertron. Other fliers struggled to keep up with him and he could see Starscream, Thundercracker, and Jetfire up ahead surrounding the numerous transport shuttles. A boomerang-shaped ship as white as a streaming comet snapped into being from a point of light , dodging back and forth through the shuttles and dragging them inside of it with what looked to be a tractor beam. _

_A sleek flier emerged from a purple flash of light off to his right and started barking orders at him. "Turn and fire at the gliders! We have to buy some time for the others!"_

_Starscream, Thundercracker, Jetfire, and this new black flier, turned and fired on the alien ship. He banked to his right and tightened the belts that held Rachel securely inside of him. "Hang on, Rachel!" _

_Like a disturbed swarm of cybernetic flies on a drone husk, the angular ship shed a blackened wave of fast moving gliders that flew straight at them. His first shot took out five gliders in an incredibly easy fireball. What the slag? What was the point of fighting these drones when he could be attacking the main ship? He teleported behind the lines of the gliders, "I'm going in!"_

"SKYWARP! GET BACK HERE, YOU IDIOT!"

_He didn't heed the voice of the black flier, instead opting to strafe the side of the angular ship and causing a series of small explosions bursting forth from the docking bays for the gliders._

"SKYWARP!"

_He was suddenly surrounded on all sides by the small gliders, and as if it were orchestrated by some higher power, they exploded all at once. He was thrown into the side of the angular ship by the blast; warning alarms blared at him to focus his attention on the situation instead of blacking out. It took all of his control to stay conscious until Rachel screamed inside his cockpit. "SKYWARP! LOOK OUT!"_

_He didn't think in the moment – he just reacted, and luckily teleported in the nick of time away from the next explosion caused by the gliders. He reappeared some distance away from the fight and listing on his side, drifting in and out of the edge consciousness as he floated like a derelict piece of scrap metal. Warnings were flashing in his peripherals: energon and coolant leaks; radar and scanners, both long and short-range were offline; multiple holes and instances of shrapnel piercing his body; one wing was shredded…_

"_Wake up! Skywarp, wake up, please! You have to wake up!" Her voice sounded so far away until she shrieked as a painfully searing burst of heat shot over his canopy, cracking the already damaged glass. The angular ship had turned and fired on him._

"_Skywarp, please wake up."_

"…_Rachel…" The modulator on his vocal processor buzzed with pure static as he croaked her name. _

"_Damnit, Skywarp!" She was tearing through control panels inside his cockpit, cursing at him as she dug for his internals. "Damn you! Do you have enough energy to teleport again? Skywarp? Answer me, damnit! Do you have enough energy to teleport?!" _

"… _Rachel…" Consciousness flickered again. Where was he? _

_She was crying now and he could feel her hot tears slide down his circuits. Why was she crying?_

"_Skywarp? Answer me. Can you teleport?"_

_Answer her? What was the question?_

_He felt her small hands wiggle past his laser core and briefly scrape the edge of his spark chamber. Oh, that tickled. He tried to laugh and the noise hitched in his vocal processor. Why did it do that?_

_Another shot tore through his left turbine and he screamed in agony, all of his remaining systems coming online in a sudden rush of power and pain. He didn't have time to focus on the clamor of his systems as another shot ripped off his tail fins and sent him into an uncontrolled spiral._

"_Can you teleport?!" She screamed at him as she hung onto the cage around his laser core._

"_NO!" He roared back at her. He was completely immobile and trapped inside the spin if his scant read-out was by any means correct – and all of his weapon systems were offline. _

_He was going to die. They were going to die. One more shot and there would be nothing left for the others to find… that is if the others got away. Raw and agonizing remorse filled his spark. She should not have been here with him. She didn't deserve to die like this. The femme had helped repair him and helped him keep his sanity while being stuck among the Autobots. She offered her friendship willingly to him. And he – he never got to thank her for any of it._

"…_Rachel?" He had to fight the vocal modulator if he wanted to tell her in their last few nano-kliks of existence. "I-I'm sorry, Rachel…"_

_Another shot singed his underbelly and she cursed; she was arm deep into his internals and not paying attention to him. He couldn't tell what she was trying to accomplish, but he was keenly aware of the sensation of her tears falling on his circuits. "Rachel, listen to me…"_

_She muttered more curses and crawled halfway into his chest cavity, balancing in the small space between his laser core and spark chamber. "Rachel, we don't have much time before they fire again, and I want to tell you something." _

"_SHUT UP!" She screamed from inside of him and the reverberation from her voice shook him to his very core._

"_There isn't anything you can do! I've lost too much energon."_

"SHUT UP! Shut up! Shut up!"_ He felt her hands wrap around a main energon line and his teleportation device. "I'm not…" He felt her redirect wiring to it as she ground out the words. "…letting them…" She smacked the main energon line into a direct connection. "…kill you! You're too important for this!"_

_He was stunned. He had thought she was crying for her own survival – not for _his_. He did not understand what she meant by 'too important', though. However, her efforts were going to be futile, even with the small boost of energon. "It's not going to work. I don't have power to-"_

"Shut up, Skywarp! I don't want you to die!" _She sobbed as she pounded on the line with her fist until he heard the fragile bones in her hand break._

"_Rachel!" He shouldn't care that she was damaging herself in this fruitless attempt, but he couldn't help the fact that he _did_ care. She was trying to _save_ him after he failed to save her. "Stop it!"_

"_Can you teleport?!" Her sobs were wracking her entire body, and the sensation of her tears falling on his internal systems… tears for him._

_He roared as the next shot tore his shredded wing from his body. The hit brought them out of the spin, but it knocked her out of his chest cavity and into his cockpit where the back of her head struck the glass canopy with a sickening crack. She fell limply into his seat, her blood now freely mixing with her tears._

"_Rachel?" Oh, Primus, no. _

"_Rachel?!" She had tried to save him. _

"_Skywarp!" It was the black flier's voice echoing over the radio._

"_I need transponder coordinates, _NOW_!" He howled into the comsystem. If he got her back to the others quickly…_

_A pure white light engulfed him, and for a moment, he thought the final shot from the angular ship had gone straight through his spark and sent him to the Matrix. Then the light dimmed and there were hands all over his body. Someone was removing the canopy glass and reaching inside of his cockpit, gently lifting Rachel up and into the light. He transformed painfully, and nearly fell prone on to the floor. There were more hands that helped him stand up and muted voices in the background that he could only focus on certain important words: "Gone… Entire planet… Too many lost… Gate was opened… Coeliaxis is our only hope."_

_When he was finally able to lift his head, he met the gaze of swirling sad indigo eyes. The being the eyes belonged to held Rachel in its arms, and its gaze followed his when he looked at her. Her body hung limply within the cradled grasp of the being – her tear-stained cheeks only belied the emotion in the melodic voice. "Her LifeSpark is with the Creator now."_

_No. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. None of this was! They were supposed to stop this from ever happening! They were supposed to save Cybertron from this! She shouldn't even be a part of this! She had fought along side him, fought for him… and she died while fighting to save him. _

_He reached out to her broken body, "I'm so sorry, Rachel…"_

_--_

Skywarp's optics shot open, the image of Rachel dead in the arms of the swirling-eyed being burned in his vision. She wasn't supposed to die. No one was supposed to die. _Where did that thought come from?_ Except he knew it was true. It was up to him to stop the death and destruction of Cybertron – him and the others. Faces he knew swam in front of his optics: Starscream, Thundercracker… and the _Autobots_? That can't be right. Can it?

"We're here. Get up." Starscream kicked his foot and stepped over him, heading to Jetfire's cargo bay doors.

He glanced around as he stood up, taking note that the Autobots had already exited except for the trigger-happy Ironhide, who was scooping up Rachel and the other human in his oversized hands. The other human was laughing and fussing over Rachel's squishy armor; she looked less than pleased about it, but Skywarp felt relieved that she was okay. The moment he could either get her alone or hack into her comsystem, he was going to tell her 'thank you'. There was no way he would try saying that in front of the others. Starscream would _never_ let him live it down.

--

A flash of deep blue light brought the boomerang ship into a low orbit of the barren red planet.

"Tesseract complete." The disembodied musical voice announced their arrival. "Cybertronians in final decent: Planet-fall in two breems. Shall I make contact?"

"There is no time. Are we invisible to them?" Kestral pulled a golden bracer out of his subspace pocket and snapped it around his left wrist. He activated the device and a giant sphere appeared around his body; in an instant, it shrank and sealed him inside an invisible protecting skin.

"Exo-cloak is operative. Localized systems blackout ready on your command."

"Begin blackout." He tapped the bracer twice and it shimmered briefly before blending perfectly into his golden-scaled skin. "Land three kliks outside their visual range."

"Initiating final landing procedures." The musical voice took on an emphatic quality, "Kestral?"

He looked at the control panel in mild confusion, "Yes?"

"Good luck."

Kestral caressed the side of the panel with his claws, "Creator watch over you."

--

"You need to stay close to me, Rachel. And you need to pay close attention to the heads-up display." Will tapped the left side of my helmet. "Tell me immediately if you feel light-headed or cold, because that could mean a leak or tear in your suit."

I struggled inside the oversized suit, trying to find a semi-comfortable way to shoulder the extra weight I was carrying. Even the level-5 hazmat suits I had worn in the laboratory weren't this bulky. "_You_ need to keep up with me, Will. I need to search for the hieroglyphics."

"Yer both stayin' wit' me."

I squeaked as Ironhide plucked me off of the ground, and Will started to laugh before I could scold the black Topkick, "Looks like you've been over-ruled, doctor."

"Fine. But I need some freedom to- move. Ugh." I tried very unsuccessfully to shoulder my wireless Teletraan 1, but the suit was too big to accommodate the strap. "Great."

Will laughed again and took my arm like I was an invalid, "You search, and I'll make sure you don't trip and fall."

I tried to tug my arm out of his grasp, but he held tight. Resigning myself to being handled like a china doll, I activated the wireless Teletraan and confirmed my radio connection with Jetfire and Wheeljack. _"Final comlink check. Can you guys hear me?"_

"Loud and clear, Rachel."

Ironhide carried us past Skywarp who was last in getting up from his seat in the cargo bay. He had an unreadable look on his faceplates, but his optics held a disturbed pale-red glow. I gave him a questioning look and he answered by shaking his head slightly. Something was bothering him, but we weren't in proper company to talk.

"Doctor Milne? Are you listening to me?"

I blinked in confusion at Will, "What?"

"I said you need to keep an eye on your radiation sensors. It will change to a deep green color when you've reached the threshold of a normal reading." Will tapped at a circular plate on my wrist. You need to pay attention to that and tell me before that happens."

"Tell you when it turns green. Gotcha." I fumbled in frustration with my wireless again; my gloved fingers were just too big to handle the keyboard. I gave up trying to use it manually, instead opting to use my secondary command systems. _"Commence vocal command protocols: Milne-two-nineteen-eighty-Autobot-Jazz. Begin recording."_

Will patted my shoulder, "Are you ready to make history, Rachel?"

I glanced up at him and then at the rust-red landscape that opened before us as Ironhide carried us down Jetfire's cargo bay ramp. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"One large Autobot-sized step, one giant piggyback for mankind."

I giggled, "Are you going to bring a handful of Mars rocks back?"

"At least one." Will patted a pocket in the side of his suit that I had not seen before. "I've got enough room for a handful of pebbles."

Ironhide stopped next to Wheeljack as Jetfire pointed out the weather-worn landscape. "Radiation signatures are the strongest coming from the pyramidal-shaped structure."

Scowling, Starscream scanned the strange rocky architecture spread out before us. "The other mounds also have trace amounts, but the artifact will most likely be housed in the pyramid." He strode off towards the pyramid with Skywarp on his heels. "You can investigate the other signals if you want to, but our concern is the artifact."

"Wait up, Starscream." Jetfire grabbed the red Seeker's elbow. "You have no idea what may lie inside that structure."

"I don't _care_. All I want is the artifact."

Wheeljack had wandered off to the side while the Jetfire tried to talk some sense into the snarky Seekers. He leaned down over a darker patch of ground, pulling a scanner out of his subspace as he examined the area. "Jetfire! You should come here and see this." His vocal processor flickered animatedly as he waved the group over and pointed at the oddly colored soil in front of him. "I believe I just discovered life on this little planet."

The group huddled around the scientists to see the greenish patch of 'life'. Starscream's interest was even piqued and he shoved his way through the others to examine small plot.

Jetfire knelt by the colored soil, "Carbon based algae with a strong root system that reaches into the trapped ice in the permafrost. Except… its dying at an alarming rate."

Wheeljack leaned down beside him. "Are we responsible for that?"

"No. They were dying before you arrived." A voice that sounded like wind chimes swaying in a soft breeze lilted behind them.

Weapons powered to life instantaneously as the mechs swung around to face the stranger that had quietly snuck up.

"Weapons are not needed." A golden-scaled creature with swirling violet eyes appeared out of the ether. "We must hurry. We only have a handful of moments left before this planet dies." He walked towards the pyramid, calling over his shoulder to the group. "We want answers, and the only way we will find the truth is to enter the temple."

No one moved or lowered their weapons. "Who are you?"

The strange creature stopped and turned to face the group. "My name is Kestral."

--

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